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CONTENTS
6
FEATURED ARTICLES
WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
17 Parsha Thought
34 Tzivos Hashem
CHIEF RABBI OF THE LAND

OF THE RISING SUN
Zalman Tzorfati
TO
12 CONNECTING
G-D AND OURSELVES
THROUGH NATURE
Nosson Avrohom
12
ON A
20 MAROONED
FARAWAY ISLAND
Nechami Genuth
WORLDWIDE
26 THE
SEARCH THAT LED
BACK HOME
Nosson Avrohom
CITY DIVIDED AND

30 APIECED
TOGETHER
Sholom Ber Crombie
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
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ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
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10/20/2015 6:29:54 AM
DVAR MALCHUS
THE SHCHINA IN
EXILE IN AMERICA
From Chapter Three of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis
Likkutei Mekoros Vol. 2. (Underlined text is the
compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
5. [] Rabbeinu, nasi hador

(the leader of the generation), is also
the Moshiach (the redeemer of the
Jewish people) of the generation,*
like Moshe Rabbeinu (the first
nasi) the first redeemer is the
final redeemer.** Indeed, it is
known*** that in every generation
there is one who is fit in terms
of his righteousness to be the
redeemer, and when the time
arrives, G-d reveals Himself to
him and sends him on his mission,
etc. Of course, it is logical to
presume that this person is nasi
hador, as explicitly mentioned
in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b,
and in the commentary of Rashi)
regarding Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi,
Said Rav,**** if he is among the
living, it is, for example, Rabbeinu
HaKadosh. If Moshiach is among
those who are presently alive, he
certainly is Rabbeinu HaKadosh,
who was the leader of the
generation.*****
From the above discussion it is
understood that the main function
of Beis Rabbeinu ShBBavel
is the redemption from Bavel,
empowering the Jewish people in
their general avoda of transforming
Bavel (the Diaspora) into Eretz
Yisroel, as in the well-known saying,
Make this place (the Diaspora)
Eretz Yisroel. This transformation
is accomplished first and foremost
through building synagogues
and yeshivos (Mikdash Mat a
miniature sanctuary) in the lands
where the Jewish people settled.
992_bm_eng.indd 3
Holiness is drawn from the shuls

and yeshivos to all the lands of the
nations, and this speeds up and
brings about the fulfillment of
the promise, In the future, Eretz
Yisroel will expand [its borders]
throughout all the countries, for
the entire world at that time will
have attained the spiritual height of
present-day Eretz Yisroel, and Eretz
Yisroel itself will be at the level of
present-day Yerushalayim. That is
what the Sages meant in saying that
Yerushalayim will extent across the
entirety of Eretz Yisroel, namely,
that the synagogues and yeshivos
of Bavel will be established there,
attached to the Beis HaMikdash.
Since the main purpose of
Beis Rabbeinu ShBBavel is
the gathering and convening of
the synagogues and yeshivos of
Bavel to establish them in Eretz
Yisroel, adjoining them to the Beis
HaMikdash, therefore it is (not
only the primary Mikdash Mat
of Bavel that traveled from Kadesh
and settled there, but also) the very
place of the Beis HaMikdash of the
Future Era, wherein the Mikdash
of the Future will be revealed,
and from there it will return to
Yerushalayim.
6. The above sheds light on the
Beis Rabbeinu ShBBavel of this
generation, the home (synagogue
and yeshiva) of my revered father
in-law, the Rebbe, leader of the
generation:
But first to preface with the
Rebbes saying: Lubavitch was
exiled ten times from Lubavitch

(where there was the revelation
of the inner dimension of the
Torah, as elucidated in terms of
understanding and comprehension
(providing sustenance) through
the teachings of Chabad Chassidus,
throughout several generations) to
Rostov, from Rostov to Petersburg,
and from Petersburg it was exiled
to outside that country, to Latvia,
and then to Poland. Then Lubavitch
was exiled to America. In America
itself it journeyed to several places
until Beis Rabbeinu finally arrived
at its permanent location, the
Rebbes shul and beis midrash, the
headquarters of Lubavitch for the
final (everything goes according
to the conclusion) ten years (a
complete stage) of the Rebbes life
in this world. And even after the
histalkus, holiness does not leave
its place. In fact, holiness is always
on the rise, until the advent of the
righteous redeemer.
So too regarding the exile of
the Jewish people at large. In this
generation, the majority of the
Jewish population are situated in
the American exile. This is actually
one of the reasons why nasi doreinu
(for the nasi is everything) lived
and resided, for his final decade, in
America. From America, by means
of his disciples and shluchim sent
through the entire world, the Rebbe
worked at disseminating Torah and
Judaism as well as spreading the
Continued on page 16
10/20/2015 6:29:55 AM
FEATURE
CHIEF
RABBI
OF THE LAND OF THE
RISING SUN
In a historic ceremony, the shliach, R Binyamin Edery, was recently appointed
as Chief Rabbi of Japan. In an exclusive interview with Beis Moshiach he tells
of the behind the scenes dramas related to the appointment and tells of action
on behalf of farmers after the tsunami, about battles to bring Jewish people to
Jewish burial, and outreach to inmates, both Jewish and not Jewish.
By Zalman Tzorfati
he pictures of the bearded

rabbi dressed in rescue
gear and helping people
in areas stricken with
radioactivity following the tsunami,
which caused the breakdown of
nuclear power plants, appeared
again and again on the screens
throughout Japan and became the
talk of the day on Japanese media.
R Binyamin Edery is in Japan
on shlichus for over fifteen years,
operating quietly. The public
became aware of him and his
work mainly through tragedies,
when he helped out after the
tsunami and with the Israeli
bachurim incarcerated in Japan.

Recently, as the Japanese
governments sign of appreciation
for his work, he was appointed as
Chief Rabbi of Japan.
ONE AGAINST THE WORLD

As a shliach of the Rebbe
you were always the person to
turn to for Jewish matters. What
does an official government
appointment signify?
It is important for many
reasons. Take, for example,
Jewish burial. Part of our shlichus
work is to provide Jewish
burial. Many Jews live in Japan.
Some of them arrived after the

Holocaust and assimilated here.
We regularly get reports about
Jews who died and we work
on getting them Jewish burial.
Sometimes they are people we
know who were in touch with us
and sometimes they are people
who live 1000 or 1500 kilometers
away from Tokyo.
In every such instance it is
a complicated process since
the law in Japan is that bodies
are
automatically
cremated.
Sometimes,
the
non-Jewish
family interferes and then it really
becomes a battle. We once had
a situation in which we legally
4 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

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fought a non-Jewish family that

demanded cremation. I was
able to delay the cremation for
a month and a half while the
body was stored in cold storage.
Unfortunately, we lost in the end.
I argued that the man visited our
Chabad House and asked me
personally for a Jewish burial, but
the court maintained that since
we had no official standing, we
could not make a claim.
CLOSE CONTACT
WITH THE EMBASSIES
So your official appointment
will help in cases like that?
Yes. While previously I had

to try to come up with various
ways of explaining to the judge
why I was getting involved, now
it is obvious and official that as
Chief Rabbi of the country I am
responsible for Jewish burial.
This will enable us to save many
Jews and provide them with a
halachic burial.
Boruch Hashem, since the
official appointment, whenever we
hear of a Jew who is nearing the
end of his life, we get him to sign
a form in which he authorizes the
chief rabbinate of Japan to take
care of him after he dies.
We had someone here who

learned in Tomchei Tmimim in
his youth who went off the derech
and lived here for nearly fifty
years. Before he died, he asked
his gentile family to allow us to
take care of his burial and we
were able to bring him to Jewish
burial with a minyan, tahara, and
shrouds.
We recently had a case of a
very wealthy woman who died,
a known donor to the State of
Israel. She came here with her
husband before the Holocaust
and together they founded
the biggest toy manufacturing
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Feature
the family is not interested in

a burial. How do you get this
information?
Usually
through
foreign
embassies. Boruch Hashem we
have good connections with all
the main foreign embassies in
Japan like the British, French,
and American embassies. I have
personal connections with over
115 foreign consulates. Every
year, on the Fourth of July, I
am invited to the American
embassy to say a few words. We
have close ties with them. They
receive information about every
citizen of their country who dies
in Japan. When they know its a
Jew, they immediately contact us.
***
R Ederys close connection
with the embassies mainly began
with his work in prisons. It started
Japan is full of idolatry and so when a Jew

comes to the Chabad House he is not interested
in hearing half-truths or polished truths. He wants the
whole truth! When things are said sincerely and people
see what sacrifices we live with just for this purpose, they
respect it and accept it.
:
- ' - - -
- - - - -
. - ' - -
" " - - . -
. " " " - " -
company in Japan. Thanks to

my official status, we were able
to circumvent all the Health
Ministry laws and the usual
formalities in Japan regarding
flying bodies and were able to
send the body for Jewish burial
in California, as the family
requested.
Is there a Jewish cemetery in
Japan?
Yes. In Tokyo there is an old
cemetery, over 200 years old.
The cost of burial is around
$30,000. The Rebbe has even
referred to this cemetery.
A Jew dies 1500 kilometers
away from where you live and
with visiting Jewish inmates,

which turned into helping all
foreigners incarcerated in Japan.
Most of them, like the Israeli
bachurim, are charged with
transporting illegal substances.
Although he began his work
to try to help Jewish prisoners,
he quickly found himself helping
and visiting non-Jewish inmates
as well. He explains, My work
with non-Jews helps me make
connections with Jewish inmates.
As a result of this work, when
any of the foreign embassies
become aware of a case involving
a Jew, they immediately suggest
contacting me, and that is how
many cases come my way.
RABBANIM SIGN
TO THE APPOINTMENT
R Ederys certification for the
chief rabbinate of Japan is signed
by a rare mix of rabbanim from
across the spectrum of religious
Israeli Jewry starting with the
Badatz HaEida HaChareidis,
Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo
Amar, Sephardic Chief Rabbi
Yitzchok
Yosef,
Ashkenazic
Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau, as well
as rabbis of cities such as R
Yitzchok Dovid Grossman and
dozens of other rabbis, most
of them members of the Israeli
Chief Rabbinate.
The authorities in Japan are
not known to be particularly
flexible and the laws there are
strict. This is why the official
recognition of the position of
Chief Rabbi and the appointment
of R Edery is a miracle.
After the Israeli Chief
Rabbinate
approved
and
recommended the appointment,
a bureaucratic process that took
more than two years began.
First, they had to decide which
government office would deal
with it. After they determined
that it would be under the
authority of the Ministry of
Legal Affairs, it still took a long
time. The Ministry of Legal
Affairs conducted thorough,
wide-ranging
inquiries
and
checks with the usual Japanese
meticulousness. After two years
of discussions and investigations,
I was invited by the Ministry
of Legal Affairs to an official
appointment ceremony.
Despite R Ederys great
help to inmates and providing
Jews with Jewish burial, the
governments appointment of
him as Chief Rabbi is primarily
an expression of thanks for

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his contribution to the nation

following the last tsunami that
devastated the country.
While
all
foreign
representatives and whoever was
able to, fled the area, and while
the media warned of the danger
of just being there, R Edery went
every day to affected areas with
trucks full of food and supplies.
He distributed it all to residents
affected by the tsunami.
A POTATO FOR THE

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Following his appointment, R
Edery was invited to meet with
the Deputy Prime Minister of
Japan who is a powerful figure
in the country. The purpose
of the meeting was to formally
congratulate the rabbi on his
new position and make his brief
acquaintance.
The
meeting,
which was allotted ten minutes,
extended to over an hour and a
half! Japanese are precise and
plan things down to the smallest
details and every minute of the
daily schedule of the Deputy
Prime Minister is planned by his
office months in advance. The
only thing that can explain this
aberration is that they did not
expect the phenomenon which is
R Binyamin Edery.
I arrived at the meeting
accompanied by some friends
from the Chabad House who are
key figures in Tokyo. According
to Japanese tradition, each
member of a delegation brings a
token gift. I brought a potato.
A potato? Are you serious?
Yes. In Japan, there is a
certain type of sweet potato called
Yakimo, which is a Japanese
delicacy. It looks ordinary but the
inside has a unique texture and
sweetness. The top chefs in Japan
broil it in a certain way which
turns it into a delicacy.
With the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, R Yitzchok Yosef
With Chief Rabbi, R Dovid Lau
The Yakimo is not easily

obtainable and is considered a
food which represents the culture
of high society in Japan. You
need to be really into Japanese
gastronomy to understand the
significance of this vegetable to
the Japanese.
One of the mekuravim of the

Chabad House is the owner of
an agricultural company which
grows and develops various
breeds of the Yakimo and during
the tsunami they distributed
thousands of tons of this potato.
In the middle of the meeting,
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Feature
NOACHIDE OUTREACH
You talk a lot about your work with Bnei Noach. Whats the idea
behind your work with non-Jews?
First of all, the Seven Noachide Laws is also one of the Rebbes campaigns.
Second, when a Jew sees that a gentile worships G-d, he is moved and he
wonders, where am I in this story? When he sees that a gentile asks, what
does G-d say, he says to himself, do I ask that?
We see this all the time. Every Shabbos that a Jew comes and sees a nonJew who is utterly subservient to G-d, it gets him thinking very seriously.
Work that could take years happens in an instant.
Ill tell you a story that happened recently. A Japanese gentile, who is close
with the Chabad House for years already, was very successful in life. One
evening, he went for a drink somewhere. He met a young man and as they got
to talking, the young man said he was Jewish.
The gentile asked him, Do you know Rabbi Binyamin?
Of course, he said. I know him but I dont like him. I cant go to him
because hes always talking to me about my non-Jewish girlfriend.
The two sat and talked all night, and the non-Jew convinced the Jew,
based on things he had heard at the Chabad House, that for his good and for
the sake of his girlfriend, they should break up.
If I was a Jew, I would never marry a Japanese woman! said the nonJew.
At 5:30 in the morning, the two of them knocked at my door. I went
downstairs and saw the two of them and wondered what they had to do with
one another. I knew the Jewish guy; he had grown up on one of the religious
yishuvim and had learned in a Litvishe yeshiva. I asked what was going on
and they told me the story.
The Jewish guy wrote a letter to the Rebbe and the answer in the Igros
Kodesh was, False is grace and vain is beauty, a G-d fearing woman is
praiseworthy, especially when speaking of a person who attended yeshiva
He was stunned. He asked me, What do I do now?
I said, you write her a letter and say youre not going back to her. You
send it by registered mail so she herself will open it.
Thats what he did. Two weeks later he left Japan and went home.
How do you explain Moshiach to Bnei Noach?
First, there are things they dont ask much about. They understand the
basics that the Rebbe is Moshiach and Moshiach is good.
Second, there are many righteous gentiles among them. Everything they
do is to fulfill what G-d wants. They are very serious people, businessmen and
intellectuals, who study Chassidus and work to fulfill their role in rectifying
the world.
I took out the Yakimo and
presented it as a gift. I told
him that we gave this out, in
the thousands of tons, to those
affected by the tsunami. The
Deputy Prime Minister was very
moved, both by the fact that a
foreigner knew about the Yakimo

and that we had distributed it to
the needy. He was so moved that
he asked us to arrange a shipment
of Yakimo for all employees of
the ministry.
The atmosphere at the
meeting was so special that he

wanted it to continue, on and
on. He said he always saw me on
the news and was amazed by my
devotion to the Japanese people.
He expressed great interest in all
the work of the Chabad House
and at a certain point we even did
a Japanese dance, to the surprise
of all those present.
***
At the end of the meeting the
Deputy Prime Minister asked R
Edery how he could be of help.
R Edery, who surprised him
earlier with the potato, continued
to surprise him when he asked
for government assistance for
farmers in the areas affected by
the tsunami, who still have not
recovered from the damages and
the radioactive leaks from the
nuclear reactors.
As R Edery sees it, his
concern for Japanese farmers is
part of the activities of Melech
HaMoshiach in the world, for
Moshiach cares about humanity
through his shluchim.
Shortly after the meeting, the
Chabad House received a letter
from the Deputy Prime Minister,
in which he thanked R Edery
for the fascinating meeting. He
expressed his feelings about
the special gift and blessed the
chief rabbi with success in his
activities.
The meeting with the deputy
minister was broadcast in all
the media and led to a series of
meetings with other senior people
in the Japanese government. The
Minister of Agriculture asked him
to lecture to the ministry staff
about kashrus and many wanted
to hear more about Judaism
and the Seven Noachide Laws.
This all came about following R
Ederys work in the wake of the
tsunami.
***
In recent years, R Edery

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With the Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
has started providing kashrus

hashgacha under the KJ, which
has generated great interest on
the part of government offices
and industries involved in the
food business. The Chabad
House also operates a kosher
restaurant.
In addition to the restaurant
that offers high quality kosher
food, the people who come also
put on tfillin. The restaurant is
located opposite the university,
which is attended by Jewish
students from all over the world
and many of them eat kosher
food thanks to us. We also
provide a hechsher on many
products produced here which
are marketed in various Jewish
markets internationally. Lately,
a hechsher was given to saki,
a famous alcoholic Japanese
beverage.
THE BACHURIM
INCARCERATED IN JAPAN
A few years ago, the frum
world was fixated on the

bachurim in Japan, three Israeli
yeshiva bachurim who were
arrested for being in possession
of illegal substances. They
maintained that they were used
by a third person who asked
them to take suitcases for him
and they did not realize what they
contained, but that did not help
them and they were sentenced to
years in jail.
R Edery worked behind the
scenes from the day they were
arrested until they were released.
The day after their arrest, the
police contacted me and asked
whether I knew them. I said I
did not, but I would be happy to
visit them. Within a few hours
I had visited the three separate
prisons where the bachurim were
held and met with them. They
were still in shock. I was the first
person they were willing to talk
to. They did not know who was
on their side and who wasnt. I
gave each of them a Chitas and
encouraged them. After that, we

kept in constant contact.
Over several years, I went
to visit them twice a week. Their
families would come regularly to
stay with us when they were in
Japan. I was also invited to all
their simchos in Eretz Yisroel and
attended some of them.
By the way, since then, I
have an excellent connection with
Rabbi C.Y.D. Weiss, the Satmar
dayan of Antwerp Belgium,
one of the most distinguished
dayanim in the frum world, who
personally got involved with the
case and worked tirelessly until
the bachurim were released.
RABBI WEISS TESTS THE

EDERY BOYS AND IS
AMAZED
Whenever
Rabbi
Weiss
came here, he would visit us
and test my boys. He tested
them in Gemara, Mishnayos,
Chumash and Halacha. He was
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Feature
very impressed and would keep
saying, I dont understand how
with the shlichus and in such a
place, they know all this. He did
not understand how a child who
does not learn in school could
be on that academic level. I must
thank Avromi Kenig of Migdal
HaEmek who learns with them
on the phone every morning and
has been doing so for over seven
years!
Not just me, but my children
too, the older ones and the
younger ones, would go several
hours by train to visit them.
It was quite a sight. Picture a
Jewish boy with a yarmulke and a
knapsack asking a local Japanese
person where the prison is. They
sometimes got sympathetic looks
In Japan, when someone

is in jail, he is an untouchable.
Sometimes even his immediate
family shuns him. I once stood
in the entrance to a prison and
ran into someone who had just
been released. I asked him where
he was going and he said he did
not have where to go and that his
family disowned him. I gave him
money so he could get to town
and he thanked me warmly. He
said that I was the first person
who ever did something for him.
AGAINST ALL ODDS THE

REBBE SAID TO APPEAL
I once met a young
Englishman of Sikh descent at
the entrance to the prison. It was
When a Jew sees a non-Jew who is utterly

subservient to G-d, it gets him thinking very
seriously. Work that could take years happens in an
instant.
from the Japanese who thought

they were visiting their father.
My children still go to visit
prisoners in jail. It is part of our
shlichus and theirs. They talk
to them and bring them parsha
pages; its their mivtzaim.
One time, there was a legal
hearing in the case of one of
the bachurim in the middle of
Sukkos. I brought him a lulav
because you couldnt bring one
to the prison. I gave it to him to
recite the bracha and afterward
he told me how much that bracha
strengthened him.
***
For years now, I travel all
over Japan to visit prisons. I
dont think there is a single city
in Japan that has a prison where
I have not visited both Jewish and
non-Jewish inmates.
at the time that the bachurim

were held there. His wife was
sentenced to eight years in jail for
the same reason as the bachurim
and he had come to Japan with
his wifes sister to try and gain
her release.
I said I wanted to help them.
I knew a top lawyer who took
relatively little money from them.
When I returned to the Chabad
House I wrote to the Rebbe
about it and the answer I opened
to said not to stop taking action.
I understood from the letter
that the Rebbe wanted them to
appeal and I told them so. The
problem is that in Japan it is very
hard to appeal, and in 99.9%
of the cases, the appeals are
rejected. But I urged them to try.
They submitted an appeal and the
wife was miraculously acquitted.
When I left the hearing they told
me they had won solely thanks to

the rabbis blessing. Afterward,
they came to a thanksgiving meal
at the Chabad House and told
everyone about the letter from
the Rebbe in the Igros Kodesh,
thanks to which the wife was
released.
ADDRESSING
INTERMARRIAGE
One of the focuses of the
shlichus in Tokyo, in addition
to the usual Chabad House
activities, is the fight against
assimilation. In Japan there are
quite a few Israelis who married
local gentile women. R Ederys
agenda is to confront this
problem, even if it means people
will feel uncomfortable and might
leave the Shabbos meal in the
middle. Truth is truth, he says,
and he believes thats the only
way to be successful in this area.
We have an Israeli fellow
who had a gentile Japanese
girlfriend for years, and yet
he had no compunction about
coming to us, participating in all
the programs and having Shabbos
meals with us. Our approach
is to speak about intermarriage
directly. At one Shabbos meal, I
brought up the topic from every
possible angle and spoke in favor
of marrying Jewish and about the
detriments in marrying out.
About 50-60 people were
sitting there but that Israeli guy
felt I was talking just to him.
He came over to me and said,
It is not comfortable for me to
continue sitting here while you
speak like that; Im leaving.
I said goodbye and hoped
that I had done the right thing
and Hashem would take over.
By 11:30 that night everyone
had already left and I was also
getting ready to go to sleep. I
heard knocking at the door and

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I went downstairs and there was

the Israeli guy. He apologized for
coming so late and of course I
invited him in.
He had an interesting story
to tell. He had gone back that
night to his gentile girlfriend and
told her what happened at the
Shabbos meal and why he had left
in the middle. He naively thought
that she would empathize.
Instead, she began cursing
him and criticizing him for
going out without her. He had
not expected this and he angrily
left their house for the Chabad
House. He slept over at our place
and the next morning was even
the tenth man at the minyan.
On Motzaei Shabbos we spoke
for hours and this time he was
more open to listening, but it
still wasnt easy for him to make
a decision. We wrote to the
Rebbe and the answer was to go
to Eretz Yisroel. He said he had
thought of doing that, in light of
his mothers repeated begging
him to come home. The next day
he bought a ticket and flew home.
He was greatly inspired and
when he landed in Eretz Yisroel
he put on a kippa. He was hosted
by a Chabad family that first
Shabbos and he told them his
story, how he had been with this
woman for nine years and parting
from her was so hard. The chevra
convinced him to call her and tell

her that he had chosen the path
of Torah. Since then, he became
a baal tshuva and has a beautiful
Lubavitcher family. His mother
thanked us for the continuity
of her family, for he is an only
child.
MOSHIACH IN TOKYO
There is one thing you cannot
miss at the Chabad House in
Tokyo, which is the focus on
the Besuras HaGeula. It is
unnecessary to ask whether this
turns people off after hearing
about the labor-intensive work
of the Chabad House that places
it at the forefront of Chabad
outreach on the Asian continent.
Japan is full of idolatry and so
when a Jew comes to the Chabad
House he is not interested in
hearing half-truths or polished
truths. He wants the whole truth!
When things are said sincerely
and people see what sacrifices
we live with just for this purpose,
they respect it and accept it, says
R Edery firmly but with a smile.
When
you
live
with
Moshiach, your entire life
becomes Moshiach; the children
behave accordingly and help
and clean up, they dont raise
their voices and they respect one
another, for the Rebbe could
appear at any moment.

People sense if you are telling

them the truth or are trying to
sell them some half-baked ideas.
When you do it right, then the
external dress and publicity
about Moshiach are not merely
externals but something internal
that bursts forth. The Chabad
House is full of posters about
Moshiach and Moshiach flags.
We have rabbanim coming here,
dayanim who belong to Satmar,
and it doesnt bother them; on
the contrary, they respect it.
The
chairman
of
the
Conference
of
European
Rabbis (CER), the late R Aba
Dunner zl, would stay with us
regularly whenever he came to
Japan to help the incarcerated
bachurim. He was a Litvak and
kept Shabbos two days in a row
(because of the International
Dateline) and followed his
customs, but that did not stop
him from dancing Yechi together
with our children.
The first time he came here,
he asked why we had to publicize
our belief. I said, I am a Chassid
and as a Chassid I follow what
the Rebbe said. He was silent,
he looked at me, and then he
said that he had seen the Rebbe
in private audiences and had
attended farbrengens in 770, and
that was the feeling he had too.
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Rabbi Jacob Schwei
6:30:03 AM
FEATURE
CONNECTING
TO G-D AND
OURSELVES
THROUGH
NATURE
Through nature, beautiful scenery, sounds and sights, R Shachar
Yaakov Zeliger, director of BReishit, teaches children to connect to
G-d, to themselves, and their hidden capabilities. * R Zeliger decries the
enticements the modern generation offers young people, and offers instead
an abundance of activities and exciting adventures that enrich a childs
world and connect him to the incredible abilities he contains within.
By Nosson Avrohom
Photos by Y. Aharoni

992_bm_eng.indd 12
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e are told that when

the holy Baal Shem
Tov was a boy, he
would spend time
secluded in the fields and forests.
This is how he connected to his
Creator and grew in Torah and fear
of heaven. When he was older and
was a melameds assistant, he kept
up his love for the great outdoors
and praising his Creator.
During his wanderings he
met the hidden tzaddikim who
adopted him and taught him the
secrets of Torah along with the
powers of the various plants that
grew in the wild and their
properties.
From the Baal Shem
Tov we learn that a lot
of chinuch to believe
in the greatness of G-d
can be derived from
nature. Nowadays, in the
generation of the computer
and technology, can we
teach
children
emuna
through contemplating the
wonders of nature? Does
this approach belong to the
distant past or is it a useful
tool today too, in shaping a
childs personality? Is this
tool appropriate for every
child? What good traits
does nature build up in a child?
We spoke with R Shachar
Yaakov Zeliger of Tzfas, wanting
to hear from an expert in chinuch
through nature, about what he
does and what it accomplishes.
R Zeliger founded the BReishit
organization five years ago, with
which he seeks to disconnect
children from the computer and
ignite a fire of emuna within
them. He does this through
group learning in which he
teaches about plants, survival
techniques such as starting a fire
without matches, making strong
ropes, how to sleep outdoors
under hot or cold conditions, the
properties of trees and plants,

and exposure to the great beauty
of nature in the forests and fields.
The move from the outdoors
to the computer has created
problems for many children that
we did not see in the past, he
says.
Tell
us
about
your
organization.
The goal of the organization
is intertwined with the story of
my life. From a young age I felt
a strong connection to nature.
I was born and raised in the
Shomron area and I would hike

in the groves and wadis and
sometimes in the desert. For five
years I was even a shepherd. At
those times, when I would sit
alone and take care of the sheep,
I would be able to think and look
around me endlessly, and when
you meditate within nature, you
are amazed by the harmony
in the world around you. You
personally experience How
great are your works, Hashem.
I noticed plants that changed
colors in the summer and winter.
I saw plants that grew only in
a certain season. I observed
that nature provides place for
every creation and plant and

one builds on the other. I asked
myself, what is our place within
all this beauty? It strengthened
me a lot and built up my belief
in a Creator and the One who
runs the world. Later on I delved
deeper and for some years I
studied and researched 800 wild
plants that grow in Eretz Yisroel.
Along with a love for nature,
I was very attracted to chinuch.
There were years I even
neglected nature in order to
teach. However, five years ago,
I decided to combine the two,
chinuch through nature.
That meditation in nature
that built up my emuna is
something I want to pass
along to children. I see how
the emuna of the children
who were taught in our
groups has a different,
deeper
perspective,
in
addition to the big bonus
that nature helps develop
good character traits.
What kind of children
do you work with?
We
have
programs
for two segments of the
population.
There
are
children who are in the
at risk category, who
are on the verge of dropping
out. The challenges and nature
adventures we do with them are
greater, like spending a week in
the desert. Their enticement by
all that the modern world has
to offer is greater and therefore,
to be successful with them, they
need to work hard and prove
themselves.
Then we have regular kids
with whom we do more toneddown activities with more
learning and depth. Our goal
is that after working with them,
the children will feel connected
to nature and learn from it about
themselves.
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Feature
IDEAS FOR NATURE ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS

AND CHILDREN THAT COST NOTHING
1-Take water and go on a nature hike any time, not just vacation. Go out
when its comfortable, early in the morning or late afternoon. Maintain a nice
atmosphere and after the hike recount the enjoyable experiences you shared.
What will remain in the childs consciousness is the experiences that you
spoke about and not necessarily what he actually experienced.
2-Using a thick rope, plan a course that requires you to climb up and
down using the rope. Do it in such a way that everyone will have to help the
other and be dependent on the other. This is a challenging, unifying, and
unforgettable experience. You can also tie the rope to a rock and practice
climbing.
3-Buy a whole chicken and out in nature light a bonfire around which you
build a wall of rocks. When only coals remain, place the chicken on them,
and cover it with boiling hot rocks. After an hour, the chicken will be ready
to eat and very tasty. Using fire is an opportunity to teach responsibility and
caution.
4-Set up a target at a distance that is age appropriate. Collect rocks and
have the family compete in throwing stones at the target. Its a fun experience
for children to see their parents misses.
5-Go out into nature and listen to it. Have the entire family lie on the roof,
close their eyes, and listen to sounds. Everyone must be perfectly quiet. See
who can count the most sounds and can identify them. The winner is the one
who heard the most sounds.
6-Buy water guns and take the family to the forest. Give each child a gun
and have a water fight. Its a very liberating and unifying experience, one
which they will remember until 120.
7-Plan an outing along with a sleepover or just go on a sleepover. Come
prepared with a tent, water, blankets, fire, flashlights, and food, of course.
The kids will never forget it.
8-Go on a night hike with your children. Choose a night in the middle
of the month with a full moon. Experience nature at night, look at the stars,
listen to the sounds. Try and walk by the light of the moon without using
flashlights.
9-Teach your children how to build a bonfire correctly. Start with straw,
twigs, and thin branches, place large pieces on top, in size order, and have a
contest to see who lights his bonfire with the fewest matches. This is also an
opportunity to teach them how to light fires safely.
10-To end off, buy ice cream, cut a watermelon or any melon.
Go out once a week, each time with another child to a quiet place in
nature. This is quality time which is worth more than countless fun activities
that our generation offers.
Why is it important from
an educational point of view,
to connect children to nature?
What does it do for them?
Someone who walks in nature
and does not understand it, what
does he see? He sees everything
superficially; he observes rows

of flowers or thorns but its all
foreign to him and definitely
doesnt teach him anything.
Someone who knows how to
recognize each plant knows
that this particular plant looked
different a week ago, knows the

name of every plant, and how it
will look in a week. A person who
knows how to identify sounds in
nature, whether its a fox or an
owl, knows that every plant and
animal has a function; nothing
tries to be like something else or
to impress anyone.
Furthermore, every flower and
animal has periods of growth and
periods of decline, a time when
it produces beautiful flowers
and a time that it dries up, and
nobody has a problem with this.
In nature there is harmony; each
one makes room for the other
and nobody tries to be the other.
Think about what educational
lessons can be derived from this.
Any feeling of competition, that
I should be like him or better
than someone else, disappears.
Each person has his role which
is designated by G-d. It is not
for nothing that Chazal compare
us in numerous places to trees
of the field. When a child
internalizes this and understands
it, his life becomes simpler and
easier. He suddenly knows how
to handle competition and the
worthless exhibitionism of our
generation, which is the bane of
our educational system, in which
nobody looks at himself and
wants to be himself; each one
wants to be the other.
Can you give specific
examples of activities that you
do and the educational results
that you get and teach the
children?
In nature there are many
seeds, roots, and fruits that are
fit to be eaten. For example, the
fruit of the raspberry tree in the
north, seeds of the rice-grass
that grows in spring a handful
of the seeds of a rice-grass plant
is comparable in quality to a loaf
of bread. In the winter there are
many plants that can be eaten; in

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the summer you need to be more

careful and knowledgeable. There
are plants that can be eaten one
way or another, depending on
the season. For example, there is
a plant mentioned in Mishnayos
Psachim as something that can
be used for maror on Pesach. In
the winter you can eat the leaves,
but later on the leaves become
thorny and its dangerous to eat
them.
On the trips we make in
nature, we teach this to the
children which strengthens their
sense of responsibility. They are
responsible for knowing when
yes and when not. Indirectly, this
also greatly strengthens their selfconfidence.
We have scouting activities in
which we teach the children how
to navigate so that even if they
are lost, they will know how to
reach their destination by using
a compass. With the knowledge
that he has, the child wont panic.
He will be calm and know that he
can be in all kinds of situations
and places. Its a fantastic lesson
for life and greatly strengthens
a childs ability to handle the
classroom when he is lost in
various situations. It happens
that a child is at a crossroads
and doesnt know which way to
turn. The understanding that in
the end it will be okay and he will
reach his destination strengthens
his ability to deal with it, and
decide what to do.
Generally
speaking,
the
activities within a group setting
bring about group spirit. In
the groups that I run privately,
children from all backgrounds
participate: Litvish, Breslov,
Sephardic, and Chabad. It creates
tremendous achdus and each
one learns to respect the other
for his opinions and abilities.
Sometimes, a child who is taken
to be weak turns out to be the
stories about himself and his

family. When he joined our group
we immediately saw that he was a
good marksman and he became
the outstanding marksman of
the group. Within a few days he
was able, from a distance of 150
meters, to hit the electric pole,
which is fantastic. The amazing
thing was that since then, he
stopped making things up. He
was truly successful and could be
When we teach a child about the plant world we

are actually teaching him to recognize himself
and accept himself as he is, the good qualities and the
negative ones; every person has his uniqueness and
mission in this world.
best navigator whom they all rely

on. And sometimes, the child who
is physically the strongest is the
one who carries the equipment
on the trip. The dynamics this
creates is astonishing and teaches
perspective in life.
How do you get kids glued
to the computer to join nature
activities?
I understand where your
question is coming from, but
I dont see the problem. Every
child has a built-in curiosity
and interest in special things. I
challenge them and spark their
curiosity.
We dont offer exclusively
educational outings; we have
an activity called Davids
Slingshot,
which
entails
throwing a stone at a target. This
activity develops concentration.
Children try again and again until
they get it. Children really like
this. Its not a daily activity so
they dont get bored with it.
A child with social problems
participated in one of the groups.
The children rejected him since
he was fanciful, telling imaginary
proud of what he did and he no

longer needed to invent stories.
Have
you
also
been
successful with children who
are labeled ADD?
Children
with
attention
problems love our activities
because of the adrenaline rush
they provide. I will give them
really big, challenging activities.
A few years ago, I taught
a
special
education
class
with whom nobody had been
successful. I used my knowledge
of challenges within nature to
get them to learn and this was
the prize. Every time we went to
the outdoors, I gave them a lot of
freedom of movement within the
framework I laid out for them.
I got this idea from the days
I was a shepherd. When you
pressure the sheep, chaos ensues
and the sheep run around and
are not calm. But when you are
relaxed with them and give them
space, they feel it and are calm.
Thats what happened with the
students of this class. I showed
them that I relied on them and
Issue 992
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10/20/2015 6:30:06 AM
Feature
each of them made sure to keep
in sight of the other so they
wouldnt get lost. On every
outing like that, we learned a lot
through nature. At the end of the
year I noticed that in nature the
learning was most meaningful to
them, far more than what I tried
teaching them in the classroom.
We spoke until now about
educational and social values.
What about spiritual values?
Man is the crown of creation
and when he is not connected
to nature, to the earth, but
to nonsense, that is when
the spiritual problems crop
up. Western culture loves to
create a cultural hero, a false
representation of a successful
person who never fails and is
good in every respect. When
Continued from page 3

wellsprings of Chassidus outward
throughout all the countries where
Jews have settled.
And since to every place the
Jewish people were exiled, the
Shchina was with them, in this
final exile where the majority
of Jews and the majority of their
buildings are exiled in America,
together with the nasi doreinu the
Shchina is also exiled to America.
And within the exile in America
itself where (in Bavel)? in
the Mikdash Mat of Beis
Rabbeinu.
(From Kuntres Beis Rabbeinu ShBBavel;
Seifer HaSichos 5752, pg. 470-1)
NOTES:
*To note that there is a spark of Moshiach
in every single Jew. (Accordingly we can
reconcile the teachings of our Sages on the
verse, A star has gone forth from Yaakov
(Balak 24:17), which refers to Melech
HaMoshiach (Yerushalmi Taanis 4:5), and
it refers to each and every Jew (Yerushalmi
we try to copy him and are

unsuccessful, then we fall into
despair and confusion. This
is true for adults and all the
more so for children. When we
teach a child about the plant
world we are actually teaching
him to recognize himself and
accept himself as he is, the good
qualities and the negative ones;
every person has his uniqueness
and mission in this world.
On a deeper level, nature
gets a person to think, and when
you think, you understand at
least a bit of the magnitude of
the Creator, lift up your eyes
and see Who created these.
When a child gets to experience
the greatness of Hashem from
up close, and of course we talk
about this, he becomes more of a
believer and not just because he
Maaser Sheini perek 4, end). Both views

are true and real, insofar as every Jew has
a spark of Moshiach (see Maor Einayim
Parshas Pinchas, end), the dimension of
Yechida [of his soul], which is a spark of
the general, aggregate Yechida, the soul of
Moshiach (Ramaz to Zohar II 40b, among
other sources). The nasi is everything, for
the leader of the Jewish people includes within
him the spark of Moshiach, the particular
Yechida, of each and every Jew. Thus, the soul
of the nasi is the general, aggregate Yechida,
the soul of Moshiach, and he is, therefore, the
Moshiach of the generation.
**See Likkutei Sichos Vol. 11, pg. 8 ff., where
it is discussed.
***See Responsa of Chasam Sofer Choshen
Mishpat (Vol. 6), end (siman 98), and see
Sdei Chemed Pas Sadei maareches HaAlef,
klal 70, among others.
****Rabbeinu ShBBavel, who is like
Rabbeinu HaKadosh [Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi]
in Eretz Yisroel (as discussed above in
Footnote 40). Accordingly, we may infer that
by Rav saying it is Rabbeinu HaKadosh,
he is also ruling about himself* that it is
Rabbeinu ShBBavel.
*****See Sdei Chemed ibid: In this manner,
was taught, but mainly because

he experienced it with all of his
senses.
R Zeliger considers his work
superlative education and not just
something to satisfy childrens
liking for adventures or to
provide them with interesting
pastimes.
Throughout the year he has
ongoing classes with yeshivos
and elementary schools and he
sees wonders with children whose
self-confidence is low. Their selfimage improves, fears vanish,
and their emuna in Hashem is
strengthened.
He recommends that parents
take his lead, each with the
knowledge that they have, to
connect children to Hashem
through nature.
in each generation, they would speculate

among themselves who it is Rabbeinu
HaKadosh in his generation they declared
and knew that he is the one that is ready
[for the mission of redeeming the Jewish
people] And so it is in every single
generation: there must be one who is suited
[to be Moshiach] should they merit [the
redemption]. Also in this spirit, the disciples
of the Arizal wrote that in his time it was the
Arizal, and Sdei Chemed concludes, and all
this is obvious.
_____
*Reflecting the explanation of the [unusual]
wording of the Mishna (Avos 3, beg.),
judgment and reckoning (judgment and
only thereafter reckoning). This teaching
is brought to light by another Mishna (ibid
16): one is punished with his knowledge
and without his knowledge. That is,
after a person rules, with his knowledge
[according to his opinion and sense of justice]
in a case about someone else, he [thus]
renders judgment upon himself without
his knowledge; in accordance with his
judgment, a reckoning is made as it
applies to his own case. (See Likkutei Sichos
Vol. 6, pg. 283, where it is discussed.)

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PARSHA THOUGHT
A PURE
MITZVAH
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
WHY DID HE
WAIT SO LONG?
THE TWO DIMENSIONS OF

CIRCUMCISION
The first Mitzvah given to

Avraham, the very first Jew,
was that of circumcision. As
recounted in this weeks parsha,
Avraham was 99 years old when
he received this commandment
from G-d.
Why did Avraham wait so long
to be circumcised? According
to the Talmud, Avraham had
prior knowledge of all of the
commandments and performed
them without waiting for G-ds
command. Why not circumcise
himself at an earlier age?
Numerous answers have been
offered to this question.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of

Liadi (the founder of Chabad,
also known as the Alter Rebbe
and the author of the classic work
Tanya) writes in his work Torah
Or that there are two spiritual
dimensions of circumcision.
While it is possible to achieve the
first level by way of the physical
act of circumcision without
G-ds express commandment,
one cannot attain the loftier
level of spiritual circumcision
without G-ds assistance, as
it is channeled through His
commandment.
This loftier dimension of
circumcision will be fully revealed
in the Messianic Age. Avraham,
however, sought to experience
that level in his lifetime, which
could only happen with G-ds
express
commandment
to
him after living a life of total
commitment to serving G-d by
performing all of the Mitzvos
of his own volition. Once he
had attained the ultimate level
of personal growth on his own
initiative, he was ready for G-d
to reveal this sublime level of
spiritual circumcision.
ONLY ONCE!
The
most
frequently
cited answer is based on the
counterintuitive
Talmudic
statement,
one
who
is
commanded to perform a
Mitzvah and does it is superior to
the one who is not commanded
to do the Mitzvah and performs
it.
Thus, if Avraham had
circumcised himself before being
commanded by G-d, he would
have lost the ability to do so by
a Divine command in the future.
One can only be circumcised
once!
KING DAVIDS DISTRESS

Perhaps one can offer another
answer to this question. The
Baal Shem Tov cited a passage
in the Talmud (Menachos 43b)

concerning King Davids distress
when he was bathing and it
dawned upon him that he was
naked and therefore not engaged
in any Mitzvah. When, however,
he realized he was circumcised
he was comforted. He then sang
praise to G-d for this Mitzvah
and composed Psalm 12 which
begins: For the conductor; on
the Shminis (an eight-stringed
instrument).
According
to
the Talmud, the eight-stringed
instrument also alludes to the
Mitzvah of circumcision which
occurs on the eighth day.
The Baal Shem Tov explains
further that King Davids
bathing is to be understood in
spiritual terms. He wanted to
cleanse himself of every vestige
of sin and impurity. While doing
so, he reflected on his life of
performance of Mitzvos and
realized that he was naked.
The Baal Shem Tov teaches
that King Davids nakedness, in
this context, meant that he was
bereft of all the Mitzvos because
he could not find any Mitzvah
which was totally pure. He was
concerned that there might
have been a trace of an ulterior
motive in every Mitzvah that he
performed.
It should be noted, that while
it is true, as the Talmud states,
one should always do a Mitzvah,
even if it is for ulterior motives,
Issue 984
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10/20/2015 6:30:07 AM
PARSHA THOUGHT
for from the ulterior motive one
will eventually come to do it for
pure motives, nevertheless,
doing things for ulterior motives
is certainly not the ideal. A person
of the stature of King David, in
pursuit of total cleansing and
catharsis, cannot reach complete
cleansing so long as his Mitzvos
are tainted, ever so subtly, with a
motive of personal gain.
King David therefore felt
that, at the very least, he needed
to possess one unadulterated
Mitzvah. He sought a Mitzvah
free of even the slightest tinge
of personal gain or ulterior
motive. This was the Mitzvah of
circumcision.
EIGHT DAY PURITY

What
distinguishes
this
Mitzvah from all others? It is
the only Mitzvah one performs
as a newborn and is incapable
of understanding the Mitzvah.
An eight-day old baby cannot
possibly do something for selfish
reasons. It is the most pure
Mitzvah one ever performs; as
pure and innocent as the baby
itself.
When King David considered
the fact that he was circumcised
at the age of eight days he was
mollified. It was the Mitzvah that
removed his spiritual nakedness.
This explains why he sang
the psalm that alludes to the
eighth day. This underscored
the significance of circumcision
occurring on the eighth day. It
was not just the actual Mitzvah
of circumcision that assuaged
his feelings of nakedness but the
eighth-day component of the
Mitzvah.
INFECTIOUS
We still need to clarify the Baal
Shem Tovs analysis of how King
Davids concerns were allayed
by the Mitzvah of circumcision.

While it is true that the Mitzvah
of circumcision is untainted
because it is performed when a
child is just eight days old, how
did King David cleanse himself
from his perception that all of
his other Mitzvos were tainted by
ulterior motives?
Just as a local infected wound
can spread and wreak havoc
on the entire body, so to one
perfect Mitzvah will spread its
positive G-dly power and infect
the entire person and all of the
Mitzvos that he has performed.
Circumcision is the positive
version of the Achilles heel that
renders us vulnerable to the
unadulterated
G-dly
energy
within our Mitzvos.
There is, however, one
proviso.
This
Mitzvah
of
circumcision must not be
compromised. When we are
conscientious about our moral
life and our physical relationships,
we carry within us the incredible
power of this unmitigated, pure
Mitzvah which neutralizes any
negative attachment to our
Mitzvos.
This might explain the
Talmudic
statement
(Eruvin
19a) that Avraham stands at
the entrance of Gehinom [the
purification process the soul
goes through before entering
Paradise] and saves those souls
who are circumcised, provided
that they have not compromised
the integrity of that Mitzvah.
When this Mitzvah remains intact
it cleanses and rehabilitates all
of our other Mitzvos, which,
in turn, helps remove the
stains of the transgressions for
which Gehinom may have been
warranted.
The premise that circumcision
is the only Mitzvah for which
there is absolutely no ulterior
motive is alluded to in the
traditional blessing at a Bris: Just

as you entered into the covenant
[of circumcision] so may you
enter into Torah, marriage
and good deeds. What is the
connection between circumcision
and Torah, marriage and good
deeds?
Chassidic masters have said
that the underlying meaning
of this blessing to the newborn
infant is that just as when you
were circumcised there was
no ulterior motive, so too may
you enter into Torah, marriage
and good deeds with purist of
motives.
AVRAHAMS DIVINE MOHEL

We can now find an additional
explanation
for
Avrahams
waiting to be commanded
to circumcise himself rather
than performing this Mitzvah
voluntarily at an earlier stage of
his life.
Avraham was keenly aware
of the unique character of the
Mitzvah of circumcision. He
knew that it was the one Mitzvah
that affects all of the other
Mitzvos that one does. He had,
however, a serious problem and
it prevented him from voluntarily
circumcising himself. He realized
that what makes circumcision
unique is that it is performed
at the age of eight days, as
explained above. Avraham was
a mature adult and realized
that his circumcision would not
reflect the purity of the eight-day
old child which infects all of
the Mitzvos that one does with
purity.
Avraham therefore had to wait
for G-d to command him to be
circumcised in order to endow
his adult-version of it with the
same measure of purity as an
eight day old infant.
This explains why the Torah

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uses the words Avraham was 99

when he was circumcised This
passive way of phrasing the act
of circumcision, Rashi explains,
suggests that it was done to him;
that G-d actually assisted him in
the act of circumcision. Not only
did G-d command him to do it
but, moreover, G-d Himself was
directly involved in this act. It,
therefore, endowed the Mitzvah
with the same measure of purity
that an eight-day old child has
when he is circumcised.
PRE-CIRCUMCISION AND
POST CIRCUMCISION ERAS
Generally speaking, for all
of our history, from the time
Continued from page 29

enough, before I boarded the
plane, I was asked to take sfarim
with me in my suitcase and I was
given a few hundred dollars for
that. From donors in the yeshiva
I received some more money so
that within a day I had a ticket.
I remembered what R Bitton had
told me and knew that what he
said, he said seriously, and it had
happened!
The change and the final
blow occurred during Tishrei at
770.
On Shabbos BReishis, some
of us bachurim from yeshiva
were hosted along with the rosh
yeshiva, R Ginsburgh. I hardly
knew him and at the end of
the meal I told him about the
doubts and inner struggles I was
dealing with. He listened to me
and then said, You crossed the
bridge but you keep on looking
back. The time has come for
you to burn the bridge. Ask the
Rebbe to remove the timtum (lit.
denseness, i.e. spiritual blockage)
of the mind and heart that you
of Creation until the Final

Redemption, we exist in a precircumcision mode. All of our
Mitzvos are, by definition,
incomplete; this is particularly so
in the period of our exile. While,
relatively speaking, circumcision
does endow us with a Messianic
purity, it cannot compare to the
purity and integrity we will attain
when Moshiach, the descendant
of King David, leads us out of
the tainted state of exile, which
is likened to the foreskin that
obstructs the purity of our souls.
Moshiach is the ultimate
Mohel. He will be endowed with
the most formidable G-dly power
to cleanse us from our spiritual
nakedness and usher in the
age when G-d will remove the

foreskin of our hearts.
During these last moments of
Galus we must prepare ourselves
for the Redemption. Since
Redemption is multi-faceted,
we must also prepare in multifaceted ways. The way to prepare
for the ultimate circumcision
aspect of the Redemption is to
fulfill this Mitzvah, literally, with
great joy coupled with efforts to
bring purity and refinement to
this Mitzvah by living a moral
life. Guarding and protecting
the purity and holiness of the
Bris is our way of preparing for
the ultimate Bristhe true and
complete Redemption.
have. He was tough and at first

I was offended. I felt broken. But
when I got up in the morning I
was a new man. I decided I was
leaving everything and becoming
a Chassid and mekushar. The
conversation with R Ginsburgh
by the Rebbe was the final blow
that got me to erase my previous
world, to delete all the thoughts
and feelings whose source was
the other side and to change
direction.
His wife, who was there, decided

that I was just right for her friend.
That same evening, I told my
mashpia about the suggestion. It
turned out that the optical store
owner had come up with the same
idea as the first suggestion that
had come up for me already. The
rest is history. After a few weeks
we were chassan and kalla. We
settled in Tzfas and immediately
set out for Pushkar to help out at
the Chabad house there.
***
After half a year on shlichus in
India, the Arads returned home
and Roni entered kollel in the
Chabad yeshiva in Tzfas to study
for smicha.
He uses his highly unusual life
story in order to be mekarev other
wandering souls who visit Ascent.
I sometimes speak with
young men or even older ones
and I find myself within their
stories. I know what and how
they think and what they are
experiencing, and its easier for
me to speak to them and show
them the way.
BUILDING A
CHASSIDIC HOME
Roni remained in 770 for
another three months and then
went to the yeshiva in Tzfas
where he married his wife Naomi.
The story of our shidduch
is a story of divine providence.
I had a few suggestions from
Yerushalayim and my mashpia
said I should thoroughly check
out the second suggestion. When
that did not work out, I thought
I would take a break. That day,
I was in an optical store in Tzfas
which is owned by a Lubavitcher.
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STORY
MAROONED ON A
FARAWAY
ISLAND
The story of two sisters, young girls who took a
flight from Eretz Yisroel and instead of arriving
at the Rebbe for Rosh HaShana, landed in
Newfoundland. * A first-person story told in two
installments about shlichus on the way to the
Rebbe.
By Nechami Genuth

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his
story
happened
fourteen years ago. When
my sister and I chose to
fly to the Rebbe on 23
Elul in 5761, we considered it
a problematic date, but did not
dream that this day would be
historic.
We got a bargain flight on
a Belgian airline with a short
stopover. It was nearly a week
before Rosh HaShana and
we knew that since we were
leaving early, it was almost
certain that we would be the
only Lubavitchers on the flight.
And since this was the first time
we were flying not on an Israeli
carrier, we were a little worried
about how we would manage.
When we arrived at the
airport, we still hoped that we
would find other Lubavitchers,
but were disappointed. As
we waited at the stopover in
Belgium, we expected that all the
additional passengers would be
non-Jews and we were almost
correct, but then we noticed one
tall bachur. He wore a black
yarmulke, had a little beard, wore
a colorful mesh shirt and jeans.
He did not look Israeli and it was
only later that we learned that he
was from a Chabad family.
On the flight to the US,
most of the passengers were not

Jewish, but we consoled ourselves
with the thought that most of
the Israelis were concentrated
together in the front of the plane.
At a certain point, we noticed that
there was a Chabad Chassid in
the back who must have boarded
the plane at the last minute in
Belgium, but we did not attribute
much importance to this at the
time since we were sure that
the hardest part of our trip was
behind us. Little did we know, we
were at the beginning.
27 PLANES LANDING
ON A SMALL ISLAND
It was almost one in the
afternoon, American time, and
we were supposed to land in
about an hour when we heard
someone say, Oy, we escaped
terror in Eretz Yisroel and now
terrorism has pursued us to
America!
I did not understand what
was going on (English is not my
strong point and the stewards
spoke in English and French), but
I saw that the people around me
were very upset. Unfortunately,
we were used to news of this
kind in Eretz Yisroel, which had
experienced nonstop terror that
year, and many of the Israelis

on the flight were there because
they wanted a break from that
atmosphere.
We soon learned that the
9/11 terror attack which had
occurred in America directly
affected us. Plans had changed
and we could not enter the US.
Passengers were asked to put on
their seatbelts because we were
landing.
Twenty minutes later, the
plane landed, I had no idea
where. The doors opened just to
air out the plane. There were no
stairs and we could not go out.
The moment the plane landed,
people surged for business class.
This was because in business
class there were phones, which
were not available in the regular
section. The people returned
disappointed.
We cant make calls, the
system is down due to the huge
number of calls being made.
I realized that something very
serious had occurred but still did
not know what happened and
what our next move would be.
So what do we do now?
I asked the lady behind me, an
Israeli in her fifties who seemed
to fly frequently.
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Story
It looks like we will have to
return to Belgium.
Then why did we land
here? I asked.
Because the plane has to
refuel, she explained.
How long will it take?
It can take a long time
because we are in a very tiny
airport and there are another
twenty-seven planes waiting just
like us.
The
plane
was
abuzz.
People were having a hard time
remaining in their seats. Most
of the passengers got up, moved
around, looked for someone to
talk to ease the tension, and a
babble of languages could be
heard. We still did not know what
happened.
Like everyone else, we walked
around the plane and tried to
glean information about what
happened. I suddenly found
myself facing the American guy
with the yarmulke.
Our eyes met, we were
quiet, but he was convinced we
had approached him especially
to ask questions. He uttered
the following line in Hebrew,
in a heavy American accent
accompanied by pantomime,
A plane went into the Twin
Towers. We realized this was an
evil terrorist attack and not an
accident.
WHAT DOES HASHEM

WANT OF ME NOW?
We continued walking around
on the plane and I met an Israeli
woman who was bent over a map.
I am trying to find where we
are now.
Where are we? I asked
curiously.
We are on an island, she
said, surprising us.
Really, an island where?
We are at the airport

in S Johns, the capital of
Newfoundland.
Who would have believed we
would get stuck on an island! I
thought of all those thrillers I had
read about forsaken places, from
stories of the Baal Shem Tov
to modern stories like The Lost
Children of Tarshish. I felt like we
had landed deep in an exciting
plot and had instantly become the
heroines of an adventure book.
What do you think why
did this happen to us? my sister
asked.
I dont know, I said, and
I quoted the verse, the hidden
things are to Hashem, our G-d,
which popped into my mind.
So what does Hashem want
of us now? we wondered.
We tried to strengthen our
emuna, to believe that everything
Hashem does is good and if we
came to this place, it was with
His divine providence. We had
read stories from the time of the
Baal Shem Tov in which he sent
people to faraway places. It was
only for them to arrive at some
brook that had waited since the
Six Days of Creation for a Jew
to come, wash his hands in its
waters, and recite a bracha. And
now, here we were
We decided that the best
thing to do was to learn Chitas.
We opened to the weeks parsha
and began reading the portion
for Tuesday in Parshas Nitzavim.
It was very short and ended with
the verse I had quoted, the
hidden things are to Hashem, our
G-d, and the revealed things are
to us and our children forever to
do according to everything the
Torah says.
That was exciting. I had
been learning Chitas every day
for years, but I had never had
anything like this happen before;
it was inspiring.
AN IMPROVISED
CHASSIDUS SHIUR
How about we learn the
maamer Chassidus we learned
before? my sister suggested.
Before we left, we decided to
take along material to learn on
the flight to the Rebbe. We took
some thin booklet so it wouldnt
be heavy to carry it. What we did
not check out was how heavy
it was in content We took it
without realizing it was deep and
had abbreviations we did not
know.
We had started learning and
stopped in the middle. Now we
decided to try a little harder.
My sister suggested we ask the
Lubavitcher we had seen earlier
whether he knew the acronyms
that were unfamiliar to us.
I agreed and that is how we
became acquainted. We asked
him to clarify the acronyms and
he invited us to sit down in the
two empty seats opposite him
that were empty at the time, and
he would teach the maamer to
us. We agreed and he began to
explain the maamer and managed
to hold our interest. We had
not noticed that we had drawn
the attention of the passengers
around us.
One non-Jewish passenger
was so impressed by the
surprising sight, as the entire
plane was in turmoil, and there
we were, sitting and calmly
learning. He asked whether he
could take a picture of us. It was
only after we finished learning
that the Lubavitcher introduced
himself as Levi Yitzchok Garelik,
and we realized he is the son of
R Gershon Mendel Garelik, the
shliach in Italy. He told us that
ever since he married, he was
living in Crown Heights.
R Garelik told us that he was
returning from a family wedding

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." , ,"
in Italy and was on the way to a
wedding of a friend in the US,
but since he did not find a direct
flight, he took this one. He said
he is a mashgiach for kashrus
and he flew often. As he spoke,
he took out a treasure, his cell
phone! He asked us for our home
phone number and offered to
call his wife, when calls could go
through, and have her call our
parents in Eretz Yisroel.
We took the opportunity to
ask him some halachic questions
connected with the flight and
then went back to our seats with
some sense of relief. For the past
many hours I had been nervous
how would we inform our parents
where we were? I was excited by
the hashgacha pratis that the one
Chabad Chassid on the flight was
one of the few passengers who
had a cell phone, and the fact
that he was in Italy and had been
forced to fly via Belgium just
magnified the hashgacha.
We sat down and had no idea
what would happen next. Nobody
knew how long we would remain

here, whether we would be
able to enter the US that day or
have to fly seven hours back to
Europe.
WE REALIZED
WE ARE ALONE
An hour went by, and
another. The sun was setting and
it was only after being stuck on
the plane on the ground for eight
hours that we got the signal to
disembark. We were also told
that only women could take their
personal belongings off the plane.
At that moment, the thought
went through my mind to offer
my help to R Garelik, but for
some reason, I was shy. I tried
to convince myself that if they
said so, there was a reason for
it. I assuaged my conscience by
thinking that if R Garelik had
something particularly important
that he wanted us to take for him,
he would ask us himself. I did not
consider that perhaps it would
be hard for him to do so and I

did not realize that we had not
given him enough time to reach
us. All the Israelis around us
quickly rose and hurried toward
the exit and we were afraid to
lose them. It was hard for us
to separate from them; we had
become friendly with some of the
girls and in a Hebrew speaking
environment it was much easier
for us, so we hurried too.
We went outside where night
had already fallen. It was dark
and cold. Fortunately, we had
coats with us, though we still
joined the rush to escape the cold
and we were among the first to
reach the nearby building.
We walked into the small,
one story structure that was
not reminiscent of an airport
terminal. We had to have our
bags checked and then we were
sent to a bus waiting outside.
We boarded the bus which was
already packed and immediately
began moving. It was only when
were inside that we realized that
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Story
we were on our own, surrounded
by non-Jews. Somehow, we had
managed to lose everyone else.
We were very tense, having
no idea where we were going, we
understood nothing! Why were
we taken off the plane? For how
long? To do what? The most
stressful thing of all was that
we had nobody to ask. We were
alone in a strange place about
which we knew nothing. We felt
like two little girls who were lost
in the big, wide world.
After a short drive, we
stopped. We entered a circular
sports stadium which had big
signs that said Canada, and I
realized that this island belonged
to Canada.
In the center of the hall were
huge screens on which you could
watch the terrible attack that
phone and we hung up.
WHY DIDNT WE THINK

OF TAKING HIS TFILLIN?
People slowly gathered and
we met the Israelis from the flight
once again and felt better. Then
we noticed R Garelik walking
with the tall American bachur
and were somewhat calmer but
not completely so.
R Garelik looked more
concerned than he did on the
plane during that long wait.
He said to us, You can take
whatever you like from the fruit
and water. Then he said in a
determined voice, Wait here,
Im going to get my tfillin!
That one short sentence
contained two messages. One,
wait for me meant that from now
I had no idea how he planned on getting his

tfillin, but I noticed the determination with
which he said it. He did not say he would try, he said
he was going to get them! He was going to fight for his
tfillin and would not return without them.
occurred in New York. There
were bleachers to sit in and in
the outer circle was a circular
hallway where tables were set
up with food, fruit, bottles of
beverages and dozens of phones
which could be used to make free
calls anywhere in the world.
We decided to call Eretz
Yisroel. We spoke with our
mother and she sounded calm.
I was very nervous until Mrs.
Garelik called me. Now that I
know he is helping you, I am
relaxed.
We did not want to make her
nervous again by telling her that
we had no idea where he was
at that moment. There was a
long line behind us waiting for a
on you are under my supervision,

which made us feel relieved. We
knew that we could not manage
in this place on our own. Second,
the tfillin! Oy! How come we
hadnt thought of his tfillin when
we got off the plane? How could
I forget R Gareliks need for his
siddur, wallet, kosher food, and
tfillin? It never occurred to me
to help him with that.
I felt bad for not having done
the right thing and wanted to
ask him, why didnt you ask us
to take it for you, but he had
disappeared, together with the
American bachur and another
friend that he had discovered
there.
I had no idea how he planned

on getting his tfillin, but I
noticed the determination with
which he said it. He did not say
he would try, he said he was
going to get them! Thats an
enormous difference. He was
going to fight for his tfillin and
would not return without them!
Why didnt he ask us to take
his tfillin for him?
And if he had asked, would
I have been able to explain to a
non-Jew who never saw tfillin,
what they are, and how precious
they are to a Jew who uses them
every day?
Well, we had hurried off the
plane without thinking too much
and now we were waiting, alone.
Would he be successful? I had
a feeling he would be, though I
did not know how. But he seemed
convinced! But then I feared he
wouldnt be, and then I felt guilty
again for not having offered help.
Would he get his tfillin back still
tonight? Would he try again in
the morning? How long would it
take him to come back? We were
anxious.
In the meantime, we waited
and waited. We did not consider
leaving without him. We had
already had that helpless feeling
when we went on the bus, all
alone, and we preferred waiting
for him.
Thousands of people passed
by. Every few minutes the
door opened and a planeful
of passengers walked in. The
Israelis had vanished long before,
I did not know where to, and
more and more people kept
coming and going. We realized
this was a way station but did not
know where people went from
here.
We sat in a corner somewhere
and watched. The people around
us looked under stress and not
surprisingly, for all plans had

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been disrupted, baggage was

taken from them, and they had
come, against their will, to a
place so different than where they
had planned to go.
Among the hordes of people
we could also see our hosts,
the local people. They were
giving out food and drinks and
even blankets. They welcomed
everyone with a smile and a
compassionate demeanor that
was so very touching. We waited
there a long time and were given
much caring attention. They
came over every few minutes and
offered some refreshments. Most
of the food wasnt kosher and we
had to make do with bananas,
oranges and bottles of water. We
were really impressed by them.
The residents of the island
managed to dispel the tension
somewhat, but not enough,
because time was passing and R
Garelik still had not returned.
Another hour and another
hour went by. We were tired
after hours of no sleep, confused
by the turn of events, and if the
place hadnt be so well lit up and
bustling with people, we could
have easily slept there.
We said the bedtime Shma
and it was only by a miracle that
we did not fall asleep, and then
finally, we saw him.
RABBI GARELIK TOOK

CARE OF US
R Garelik came back at 2:30
in the morning, accompanied
by the American bachur and a
frum guy whom he met who was
invited to the same wedding, and
some local non-Jews. The main

thing is, he had the tfillin and he
was elated.
We relaxed. I was happy to see
the tfillin and I could dispense
with my pangs of conscience. He
was happy that we had waited for
him.
He felt fully responsible for
us, Chabad girls from Eretz
Yisroel that he had first met on
the plane, and was so glad we
hadnt disappeared once again.
We did not ask him how he had
gotten his tfillin back and he did
not tell us.
There are some very good
people here, he enthused. Its
a very small city. On an ordinary
day, by 9:00 they are all home
and in bed, but today ...
We went outside where
a surprise awaited us, a
magnificent limo. We were
invited inside. The inside of the
car looked like a living room.
There were two very comfortable
couches, one a seat for two and
the other, longer one, could seat
three. In the center was a coffee
table and the walls were adorned
with a homey display window
and other decorations.
R Garelik looked amazed by
it and he exclaimed, Chassidim,
lchaim! Lets farbreng!
Upon getting his tfillin his
mood was elevated and he looked
like one whose every problem had
been solved.
The trip was short and a few
minutes later we exited the limo
and entered a large building
whose function I could not
discern. The building was nearly
empty. Some young people

stood in the entrance and next to
them were exercise mats. They
looked friendly and they asked
us, Which language do you
understand better English or
French?
R Garelik motioned to them
to leave us alone because we only
spoke Hebrew and that he would
speak on our behalf. I was so
happy that there was someone
to replace me in that exhausting
endeavor of trying to speak
English, at three in the morning,
no less.
He spoke to them for a
minute or two and then two
Canadian girls joined us and
we all went to the second floor.
We stopped at one of the rooms
and they opened the door for
us and we saw a piano and two
mats. Each of us was given three
new blankets. Then they opened
the room next door which also
had a large musical instrument
alongside three mats where R
Garelik and the men went.
We spread out the blankets,
one as a sheet, one as a pillow,
and one as a blanket. We did not
change our clothes because our
luggage remained on the plane,
and we did not know when we
would get it. Where were we?
Why was there a piano in our
room? When would we get our
clothes? Where would we sleep
the following night? None of
these questions bothered us at
that time. We were so exhausted
that the moment we lay down, we
immediately fell into a deep sleep.
To be continued
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Issue 992
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PROFILE
THE
WORLDWIDE
SEARCH
THAT LED
BACK HOME
If you go to the Chabad yeshiva in
Tzfas, you can find Roni Arad bent over
a Shulchan Aruch and other sfarim as
he prepares for smicha. He looks like a
typical Chassid and it is hard to imagine
his tumultuous past.
By Nosson Avrohom

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ENDLESS SEARCHING
The distance between what Roni
knows today about Judaism and
what he knew in his younger years
is like the distance between heaven
and earth. My mother was born and
raised on a religious kibbutz, Sdeh
Eliyahu, but in our home there was
no tradition. The little that I knew
I picked up in school and it was
almost always about there being an
upcoming holiday. There was no
explanation as to what the holiday
was about and what you did when it
occurred. I grew up in an atmosphere
which did not like religious people
and thats an understatement. The
negative view against rabbis was
denigrating to the extreme.
In his childhood, Roni played
sports a lot and focused on soccer.
Some predicted greatness for him
but he says he did not get past the
stage of advanced play and he
abandoned that dream. In school he
was a student of opposites, i.e. he
was gifted and did well in math and
other subjects, but he had a difficult
time focusing and sitting still in one
place. I was one of the first in Israel
to be diagnosed as having ADD,
although since then things really
improved for me.
He was born in a wealthy home
in Ramat Aviv but always related to
simplicity. At a young age, before
bar mitzva, he knew he was seeking
something deeper in life than his
friends were.
I was unwilling to live a boring
life. My soul sought more serious,
dramatic stimulation. As a young
man I rebelled against convention
and was addicted to musical events.
I flew to Portugal, Zambia, and other
countries in order to participate in
festivals of the musical genre I liked.
When I finished one experience,
instead of taking it easy, I planned
the next experience. I felt that
despite all the abundance I was privy
to, I did not really have it good.
The hunger for a better world,
without jealousy and competition,

took root within him back then and
he was swept up in a search for a
simpler, more natural, idealistic life.
My friends and I believed in
a Higher Power that runs things
from above, its just that we did not
refer to Him as the Creator of the
Universe and Divine Providence, but
as a Universal Energy and other
titles that we took from the spiritualmystical books that we read. In our
home we had many philosophicalspiritual books and my mother was
involved in Reiki, guided imagery,
and meditation.
One powerful experience shook
me up and led me to forgo serving
in the army, and to wander off to an
ecological farm in the Arava region.
It was when I was in the Neve Avivim
Park in the area where I grew up.
I looked around me at the trees,
flowers and the ornamental fish that
swam in the lake and I suddenly
had the feeling that in nature there
is incredible cohesiveness; one
completes the next and there is no
jealousy and competition among
them; on the contrary. This led me
to pack some things and escape from
city life. I went to a nature farm
away from civilization in the Arava
where I spent a long time. Every
day I would take care of the plants
and talk to them. My clothing and
behavior fit life in the desert. The
couple who built the farm hosted me
and in exchange, I took care of their
baby. The farm was full of plants and
greenery and my job was to water
them. Life there was a delight.
Roni was attending a spiritual
festival in the south called Rambo
when he suddenly remembered that
it was his mothers birthday. He left
the crowds and went up a hill to
get cell phone reception and called
to wish his mother happy birthday.
When they hung up, to the surprise
of his friends, he impulsively left the
festival and went home to be with his
mother on her birthday.
It later turned out that this was

her last birthday. A short while later
she fell sick and she died in a little
over a month, leaving the entire
family in shock.
After the Shiva, I felt strongly
that life is fleeting and it needed to be
lived to the fullest. But I didnt know
how to do this. First, I returned to
the Arava where I lived on a kibbutz,
but after a while I felt drained and I
flew to South America.
Roni felt very deeply about
searching for the meaning to his life,
but at the time did not think Torah
and mitzvos were where it could be
found.
I did not imagine that Judaism
is a spiritual path. I thought of it as
more of a way to preserve outdated
tradition. Back then, I did not even
have a love-hate relationship with
Judaism since it simply did not
interest me. My knowledge of Torah
and mitzvos was so minimal that I
did not know what Shma is or what
kosher food is. I was an ignoramus.
DISTURBING DREAM
Before flying to South America,
Roni went to a bookstore on
Sheinkin Street and bought, among
other things, books on Breslov
Chassidus.
Even now, I have no logical
explanation for my buying those
books at that time. I saw them
lying there and spontaneously took
them. In one of the books was a
compilation of chapters of Thillim
and for four hours on the flight I
tried to read it and broke my teeth.
It was an unfamiliar text and I set
it aside. I did not relate to it, but
amazingly, that night I had a strange
dream which I felt was connected to
the Thillim.
I dreamed that I was vomiting
up my entire past and experiencing
some sort of inner cleansing. I
woke up terrified in the middle of
the night and could not fall back
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Profile
asleep. It was my first encounter
with something Jewish but it did
not push me towards practice. It
seemed ridiculous to me that in
order to connect to G-d, I had to
put on tfillin or keep any rules.
I was sure that Jewish spirituality
was the ultimate antiquated
religion.
Roni went through more
stages in which he worked on a
horse ranch and as a manager
of an exclusive restaurant in
northern Tel Aviv. He made good
money and lived well. He had a
nice home, a car, and whatever
he wanted, but he was bored.
I was at a loss for ideas. I had
everything so why did I feel this
way?
The feeling of emptiness sent
him back to the Arava and this
time, he went further south to
an ecological yishuv called Izuz
situated on the Egyptian border.
I looked for a ranch with
sheep because I wanted to be a
shepherd. I wanted to be alone
and I found the opportunity
on this out of the way yishuv.
I spent two years there and
was appointed the manager of
tourism at the yishuv. For a while
I felt I had found what my soul
loved, but then thoughts about
life, our role in the world, life
and death, started up again. Now
I know these were thoughts of
tshuva.
ONE THING LED TO

ANOTHER
Hashem has many agents at
His disposal and one of them was
the father of a good friend who
worked with him on the farm. He
exposed Roni to the depth and
beauty of Judaism.
Every time I joined my
friend to visit his parents, it
was Shabbos. I noticed that
as soon as Shabbos began, he
stopped working and he became

tranquil. It hit me that what I was
really looking for, freedom and
serenity, I wasnt looking for in
the right places. Freedom is not
traveling on Shabbos. Freedom
is not running after pleasures of
this world. True freedom is being
religious, a reality so out of the
question for me at that time. It
is by obeying the Creators rules
that we acquire serenity in life.
One time, after a long
conversation, Roni received a
siddur from that man and with
his guidance, began saying
Modeh Ani every morning. And
before he went to sleep at night
he read the Shma.
I dont know how I got there;
it felt like an invisible hand was
leading me. I did not rationally
understand that Judaism is true;
it was a heavenly connection. I
have no idea what motivated me
to relate to these texts. It was a
deep, inner feeling, for I wasnt
raised this way.
At
this
point,
Roni
remembered a childhood friend
by the name of Ariel Ashkenazi
who had become interested in
Judaism as a result of which their
friendship had ended. One day I
remembered him and decided to
contact him.
I remembered his parents
phone number and was surprised
to hear from his mother that
he had become a Chabadnik,
married, and moved to Tzfas.
Since my friends father lived on
a yishuv in the Galil near Tzfas,
at the first opportunity I joined
my friend on a visit to his parents.
Then I stopped by to visit my
childhood friend in Tzfas. I was
taken aback to see him dressed
like a religious person, with a hat
and jacket. We spoke for hours.
When I returned to Izuz,
an interesting situation ensued
in which many people on the
yishuv sat together and we spoke

about ideals in this modern era.
They were all ardent Leftists but
the conversation focused on the
settlers being the new pioneers
who replaced the kibbutznikim.
There was depressing talk about
the dismantling of the ideals of
the kibbutzim. In the course of
the conversation, a line came out
of my mouth that until today, I
still cannot explain how I said
it. I said that if I wasnt working
there, I would be keeping
Shabbos.
They all looked askance and
Roni wanted to bury himself. He
could not understand where that
thought had come from.
A few months later he decided
to fly abroad again, this time
to the Balkan countries and he
decided to keep Shabbos. I
didnt exactly know how to keep
Shabbos. I knew you cant use
electricity and drive a car.
A good friend who was also
becoming interested in Judaism
urged him to take tfillin with
him even though he did not know
how to use them.
One morning, I tried to put
them on and felt like someone
who bought a fishing rod and did
not know how to wind the string
right; all the straps confused me.
A few days later, I put them back
in the bag and did not try putting
them on again. I now know
that within all this ignorance,
my neshama was crying out,
but there was no one to give
direction.
THE REBBE WILL HELP

When he returned to Eretz
Yisroel he decided to live in
Yerushalayim. He rented an
apartment in Nachalaot and his
involvement in Judaism went
up a notch. In this picturesque
Yerushalmi neighborhood lived
many religious young men who

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were also perpetual outsiders.

Roni found a chevra with whom
he had a common language.
They were all at some stage of
searching and interest in Judaism.
They taught him basic mitzvos.
One morning, I felt a strong
feeling of being completely
wrung out. I decided I must
choose a path and I resolved to
do tshuva.
He called his Lubavitcher
friend Ariel in Tzfas. For several
hours, Roni expressed all his
complaints and fears about the
path of Torah.
There was one question that
really bothered me. How could
the great, awesome Creator of
the universe be involved in trivial
things like what we eat? Ariel,
to his credit, let me express
everything on my mind. When
I was done, he nicely explained
the perspective of Chassidus and
told me the line that Hillel said to
the man who wanted to convert,
a line I will never forget: You
wont learn everything on one
foot. Judaism is deeper than you
imagine.
The next step was three tfillos

a day and two months after that
decision, he was chazan on his
mothers yahrtzait in the Chabad
yeshiva, Tiferes Menachem, in
Yerushalayim, led by R Sholom
Ber Marzel.
I began visiting the yeshiva
every day but there was one
moment that made me decide to
remain and become a bachur like
the others. It was when I attended
a farbrengen of the mashpia of
the yeshiva, R Shmuel Bitton. I
did not know him from before,
but at a certain point, after a few
cups of lchaim, he hugged me
and said, Roni, you should know
that Chabad is the truth.
I felt he was saying this from
a place of truth and it made a
tremendous impact on me. I
decided to become a bachur like
all the other bachurim, but the
klipos that I was surrounded by
did not disappear. Some more
months went by until I registered
for yeshiva in Ramat Aviv and I
began learning there.
I arrived at yeshiva on Chai
Elul and the yeshiva was buzzing
with talk about going to the

Rebbe. I spoke with the mashpia
of the yeshiva in Yerushalayim,
R Bitton, and he told me that if
I really wanted to go, the Rebbe
would help. He said this with
utmost confidence.
What happened within a
day stunned me. That evening
I
attended
R
Goldbergs
farbrengen in Ramat Aviv. He
spoke a lot about the necessity of
going to the Rebbe. During the
farbrengen, as everyone sang, he
motioned to me the question
am I going to the Rebbe. When
I motioned back that I did not
have the money to buy a ticket,
he motioned back that he was
willing to try and get me half a
ticket, if I got the other half. I
was surprised but agreed. Things
worked out in an amazing way.
The hanhala of the yeshiva
gave $100 to bachurim who
went. My grandparents gave me
another $100. My father, whom
I had not seen in a long time,
surprised me and gave me several
hundred dollars. If that wasnt
Continued on page 19
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CROSSROADS
A CITY
DIVIDED
AND PIECED
TOGETHER
Yerushalayim is the heart and soul of
the Jewish People. Anyone who makes
concessions on our sovereignty over the Old
City cannot talk about a united Yerushalayim
and the strength of the residents of the eternal
capital of Am Yisroel. The General Security
Services and the countrys military echelon
know how to defeat the terrorists, but the
politicians refuse to give the order. The Rebbe
spoke decades ago about the censorship on
the security situation, covering up reports on
how the terrorist organizations were raising
their ugly heads.
By Sholom Ber Crombie
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
1.
Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu and Defense Minister
Moshe Yaalon are absolutely
right. The truth is that there isnt
much they can do to change the
situation. Assuming naturally that
there are no plans to alter the
strategic balance of power, what
would be the purpose in initiating
a military operation at this time?
No one intends to go around
East Jerusalem and confiscate
knives from the kitchens of
Arab homes. Furthermore, when
the operations sole objective
is defensive in nature, e,g.,
gathering terrorist weapons,
such tactics will do nothing
towards improving the nations
security. On this basis, there is
no reason to start a war against

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the terrorists. Thus, it should

come as no wonder that the
proposed solution is to erect
metal detectors at the entrance
to the Old City, as if theres a
lack of knives and other weapons
inside Arab houses in the Moslem
Quarter.
The real problem is not a lack
of ability on the IDFs part or
options for an effective military
operation, rather a lack of true
desire to vanquish the terrorist
enemy. While there are several
proposals before the Cabinet
on a workable military solution
to the prevailing state of affairs,
the government ministers prefer
to take small steps to calm the
national outrage and soothe
public opinion. They could
call for bold and courageous
measures. Although this would

initially come at a high price,
forcing us to deal with the
pressures
of
international
criticism,
the
deteriorating
security situation will eventually
stabilize. Unfortunately, all we
get is a PR offensive on social
media.
After Operation Protective
Edge last summer, one prominent
IDF officer said that the army
could have retaken the Gaza Strip
within seven hours, but those on
the diplomatic track didnt want
to defeat Hamas. This is the very
situation we confront today. We
can defeat the terrorists, and we
have a powerful and professional
army that is capable of doing just
that. The same Israel Defense
Forces that devastated all the
Arab armies through G-ds

Divine kindnesses and His openly
revealed miracles can also
conduct a victorious war against
the
terrorist
organizations.
However, instead of dealing
with security considerations, the
leaders in Eretz Yisroel politicize
the army, concerning themselves
with what the international
community might say. This is
exactly what the Rebbe warned
about decades ago, when few
people really knew what was
happening in the faulty decisionmaking process for the nonexistent war on terror.
What does the Prime Minister
think the end result will be? We
went through the first intifada,
the second intifada, and the
waves of terrorist attacks after
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PARSHA THOUGHT
the Oslo Accords. How did the
journalist Chagai Segal put it?
By my count, this is the eighth
intifada, not the third. What
else has to happen chv before
Yerushalayim finally becomes a
safe place once again? Instead of
gaining security, we lose another
part of our sovereignty over
Yerushalayim to the rampaging
Arab hordes with every wave of
terrorist bloodletting. Those of us
old enough to remember can look
back fondly to the days when
we could move freely around
Shchem and Yericho. Well
apparently be able to speak to our
children about when we could
walk to the Kosel via the Arab
marketplace and the Moslem
Quarter. We might even have to
tell them that it was once possible
to go to the Kosel without close
armed protection. Who knows?
After the difficult scenes of
recent months, many Jews refrain
from walking to the Kosel along
the usual paths, opting instead
to take their cars via the bypass
route. They always used to tell
us that there was no reason to
worry about walking through the
Arab marketplace. After all, it
was in the Arab merchants best
economic interests to keep things
peaceful. Economic interests
supersede all other concerns
thats a known fact. However,
the pictures of a young chareidi,
wrapped in tallis and tfillin,
fleeing in panic through the
streets of the Arab market, make
it abundantly clear that Arab hate
is the prime motivation today.
And if those pictures werent
enough, we then saw the film clip
of Adele Benita running with a
knife stuck in her body, fighting
for her life while the Arab
merchants sat happily and drank
Coca-Cola. Only the popcorn
was missing for them to have a
full entertainment experience.
All the myths about co-
existence with the Arabs, if we

would just give them a means of
livelihood and proper municipal
services, have been proven
false with every successive
terrorist attack. They have no
rational basis whatsoever; this
is nothing more than good oldfashioned anti-Semitism, plain
and simple. Thats the whole
story to this never-ending
conflict. Its definitely not a
clash over municipal issues or
national policy; it may not even
be a religious dispute. This is
sheer blind hatred: It is a wellestablished law Eisav hates
Yaakov.
2.
In the meantime, the pundits
are struggling to provide an
answer on how we should define
this new situation. We most
definitely dont have a war here.
The reality of ordinary Jews being
stabbed and murdered on a daily
basis is far from being called a
war. This isnt even an intifada
yet. In todays world, the rule
of thumb is that if it smells like
an intifada and sounds like an
intifada, then its an intifada.
However, in Eretz Yisroel, it
can sound like an intifada, even
feel like one, but Heaven forbid
that we should call it an intifada.
So how exactly do we define a
situation where Jews are stabbed
every day by Arab murderers?
The most we can expect is the
phrase wave of terror. In other
words, the terror in Eretz Yisroel
is an accepted reality, a routine
fact of life. Just as there are waves
of cold and waves of heat, there
are also waves of terror. Its part
of the scenery.
The problem is not the Arabs
they were in Eretz Yisroel
before and will be after the
current wave of terror rather
its the message we convey to
them. When we convey a message

of strength, they are terrified.
However, when we cringe before
them, they raise their heads.
Since the last wave of terror,
they havent been our good
neighbors who followed the path
of peace. They simply chose the
path of fear. When we exercised
our power of deterrence, they
were silenced and we were
victorious. But when the prime
minister of Israel stands at
the rostrum before the United
Nations General Assembly and
proclaims his support for a twostate solution, what can you
expect from the hate-filled Arab
merchants who want nothing
less than to see us driven into the
sea?
In the current situation, only
instilling fear and dread within
them can restore security to the
Jewish homeland. Theres no
need to collect all the kitchen
knives from East Jerusalem and
theres no reason to do so either.
However, its possible to go out
on a military operation that will
bring the IDF back into Arab
cities throughout Yehuda and
Shomron, its possible to declare
the Oslo Accords null and void
especially since the other side
has unilaterally broken them
anyway, and its also possible to
implement Jewish sovereignty
over Gush Etzion or the
settlement blocs for starters.
These are the steps that can truly
tip the balance of deterrence in
our favor and restore a feeling
of national security. In addition,
it sends a clear message that
the boss is very angry and it
wouldnt be smart to provoke us.
However, instead of choosing
this overall approach, Mr.
Netanyahu prefers to deal with
cheap public relations and
proclaim that the terrorists
homes will be destroyed. He
just forgot to mention that he

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was referring to the terrorists

responsible for the slaughter
at the Har Nof synagogue last
winter, whose homes had been
scheduled for destruction long
ago. We wont discuss the fact
that the homes arent really
destroyed. The most they ever
do is dynamite a few walls, and
the next day, the money comes
from Iran via Hamas and the
house is rebuilt as if nothing has
happened.
With all the madness in
the streets of Yerushalayim
today, it boggles the mind why
its municipal government still
hasnt received orders to raze all
illegally built homes situated near
Jewish communities and thereby
endangering the security of the
people living there. In recent
years, thousands of residential
units have been erected near the
citys Armon HaNatziv and Pisgat
Zeev neighborhoods. If someone
wants to restore security to the
citizens of Yerushalayim, he first
must put a stop to the constant
daily threats. When a woman
living in Pisgat Zeev is afraid
to open her window at night
because theres an illegal Arab
house just yards away threatening
her security, thats a clear sign of
a divided Yerushalayim.
3.
The Rebbe was already
speaking about the loss of
sovereignty over Yerushalayim
immediately after the great
victories of the Six Day War.
While the entire Jewish People
were celebrating the return of
the Kosel and other holy sites,
the Rebbe declared that there are
those who want to give it all back.
In dozens of sichos, the Rebbe
mentioned Yerushalayim and the
forfeiture of Jewish rule there.
Even when the Rebbe cried out
against the territorial concessions
And if those pictures werent enough, we then

saw the film clip of Adele Benita running with
a knife stuck in her body, fighting for her life while
the Arab merchants sat happily and drank Coca-Cola.
Only the popcorn was missing for them to have a full
entertainment experience.
stipulated in the Camp David

Accords, he explained that they
wont be able to stand firm
afterwards on Yerushalayim.
In one lengthy sicha (Motzaei
Shabbos Ki Sisa, Parshas Para
5739), the Rebbe laid out the
web of concessions on the way
to
recognizing
Palestinian
autonomy and the loss of Jewish
sovereignty. It turns out that
even back in those days, there
were those who tried to censor
news about the violence against
Jews and sweep relevant facts
on the security situation under
the rug. The main thing is that
they let the terrorists enter the
Old [City of] Yerushalayim! the
Rebbe said. They also hit Jews
and Jewish soldiers there, and
they keep it a secret, thinking
that if the papers are forbidden
to write about it, then the sixty
or seventy thousands Arabs
living in Yerushalayim wont find
out. Furthermore, if the military
censors say that it doesnt pay
to publicize this, the Arabs will
cover it up and wont tell about
it to a brother, cousin, or relative
living on the Jordanian side.
This is a lie that cannot be used
to deceive anyone, even a small
child.
And as we have discussed,
since we are in a doubled and
redoubled state of darkness, G-d
does not wait until they realize
that two plus two equals four, not
five or three and He shows that
they have already been striking
Jews rl near Chevron, near
Shchem, and near the Old City

of Yerushalayim, including even
people in the army!
The Rebbe continued: The
only thing that protects is the chief
Guardian, i.e., The Guardian
of Israel neither slumbers nor
sleeps, except that G-d wants it
to be based according to the ways
of nature. Natural protection is
when there are soldiers carrying
weapons and they want to serve
with self-sacrifice even for those
who are like grasshoppers in
their eyes. Several years ago,
these people sent a delegation
to Washington to ask for mercy
and that they should take back
everything conquered during
the Six Day War theyre even
prepared to protect them! using
them not to let Jews settle along
the border. Yet, a few months
ago, they said that this was the
only way to protect the border,
and if it remains unoccupied, they
cant protect it, and therefore,
Jews must settle there!
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TZIVOS HASHEM
WHY WERE THEY
STILL HUNGRY?
By D Chaim
Class just ended. All my

classmates got up and rushed
to the yard. I did not rush. I
went down the stairs slowly in
the direction of the yard that
we played in, because I was
busy thinking about what our
teacher had just said.
The lesson was about looking forward to the Geula. The
teacher said that the Rebbe
intensified the anticipation of
the Geula in an incomparable
way to previous generations.
I imagined the days when the
Beis HaMikdash was the glory
of Yerushalayim and I felt very
strongly that we cannot submit to feelings of galus. Galus is
not a true state of being; its an
abnormality that must be done
away with. Ah, what I would
give to be a child in Yerushalayim in its glory days At least
at this time, I must strengthen
my feeling of anticipation for
the Geula.
When I reached the yard I
saw my friends playing boisterously. I was soon swept up
in the game and my earlier
thoughts were forgotten. Time
passed and we finished the next
lesson. Then we went downstairs to the first floor to the
lunchroom.
It wasnt always that way. I
remember learning in the lower
grades when school ended ear-
lier. I would walk home with

my older brother. He would
eat lunch and then go back
to school while I stayed home.
Then the school began offering
good meals for the students so
they dont have to go home in
the middle of the day.
The teacher in charge of the
lunchroom told an interesting
story and I listened closely. It
was a story about Rabbi Yonasan Eibischitz that goes like this:
R Yonasan was the advisor of the king. One time, the
king became angry at him and
wanted to punish him severely.
R Yonasan ran away and hid.
The king ordered to arrest him
but his soldiers searched and
could not find him. The king
thought and thought until he
came up with an ingenious idea.
Go out and announce in the
streets of the city that tomorrow morning, everyone must
show up in the marketplace
plaza with a sheep.
The next day, everyone
showed up with a sheep. After the kings servants weighed
each sheep, they announced, in
the name of the king, that in
a months time they all had to
come back with a sheep. The
weight of the sheep had to remain exactly the same as it was
that day.
The people went home, not
knowing what to do next. Nobody wanted to arouse the

kings anger but they had no
choice. If they did not feed the
sheep, it would lose weight, and
if they fed the sheep, it would
gain weight.
The old man, in whose house
R Yonasan was hiding, returned home looking perplexed.
When R Yonasan saw him he
asked what was going on. The
man told him the kings order
which was impossible to fulfill.
R Yonasan said, I have an idea.
Continue feeding the sheep as
usual but near the pen place a
cage with a fox in it. The sheep
will eat and wont die, but its
fear of the fox wont allow it to
put on weight.
The old man did as he said
and on the appointed day, the
people showed up with their
sheep. The weight of all the
sheep had changed, with one
sheeps weight up and another
sheeps weight down. Only the
weight of the old mans sheep
remained exactly the same as it
was a month before.
When the king heard about
this, he told his servants to
search the old mans house. The
king knew that only R Yonasan could come up with an idea
to keep the sheep at the same
weight. And since the king
wanted to capture R Yonasan,

992_bm_eng.indd 34
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he came up with the order

about the sheep. But R Yonasan
realized this, of course, and he
escaped before the kings servants came to the house.
The story was fascinating. Then I got ready to leave
the lunchroom and I heard one
of the boys from a higher class
say, Im still hungry. I expected him to ask for another portion from the lunchroom monitor but he bentched and left. I
was a little surprised but did
not think about it too much.
At the end of the day I went
home and saw my older brother eating supper. When he finished and was about to bentch,
I heard him also say quietly,
Im still hungry.
That was strange! Why were
they hungry when they had
just eaten? And if they were
still hungry, why didnt they
eat more? Why did he bentch?
And how did the identical thing
happen both at home and at

school?
After my brother finished
bentching, I decided to ask him.
Shmuel, why did you remain
hungry when you just ate?
Shmuel said, Its because I
ate that I said that.
Now I was completely baffled. What do you mean? I
asked.
Ill explain it to you, said
Shmuel. The Rebbe says that
a Jew yearns for the Geula so
much that whatever he does,
even mundane things, are exanticipation
with
perienced
for the Geula. The Rebbe gives
an example from eating and
drinking, which are routine,
constant activities. When a Jew
yearns for the special meal of
the Leviasan, Shor HaBar and
the Yayin HaMeshumar, which
we will have with the Geula,
even when he eats now, he remains hungry for that future
special meal.
I guess I have to strengthen my yearning for the Geula
so that it affects me and I am
actually physically hungry, but
at the very least, I always try
to put myself in that mindset,
that I am still hungry for that
future meal.
I thought a bit and then
said, You know Shmuel, thats
amazing because just today, the
monitor in charge of the lunchroom told a story that fits with
what you just told me. Maybe
thats the reason why that boy
I saw in the lunchroom said he
was still hungry.
I told Shmuel the story and
ended with, Maybe, just as the
fear of the fox did not allow the
sheep to put on weight, when
a Jew truly longs with all his
heart for the Geula, it can leave
him with a feeling of hunger
even as he eats, hunger for that
special seuda with Moshiach.
992_bm_eng.indd 5
10/20/2015 6:29:55 AM

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CONTENTS

CHIEF RABBI OF THE LAND

CITY DIVIDED AND

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Tel: (718) 778-8000

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

5. [] Rabbeinu, nasi hador

Holiness is drawn from the shuls

exiled ten times from Lubavitch

he pictures of the bearded

bachurim incarcerated in Japan.

ONE AGAINST THE WORLD

Some of them arrived after the

4 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

fought a non-Jewish family that

Yes. While previously I had

We had someone here who

the family is not interested in

Japan is full of idolatry and so when a Jew

company in Japan. Thanks to

with visiting Jewish inmates,

many cases come my way.

6 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

his contribution to the nation

A POTATO FOR THE

With the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, R Yitzchok Yosef

With Chief Rabbi, R Dovid Lau

The Yakimo is not easily

One of the mekuravim of the

foreigner knew about the Yakimo

meeting was so special that he

8 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

With the Deputy Prime Minister of Japan

has started providing kashrus

world was fixated on the

encouraged them. After that, we

RABBI WEISS TESTS THE

In Japan, when someone

AGAINST ALL ODDS THE

When a Jew sees a non-Jew who is utterly

from the Japanese who thought

at the time that the bachurim

me they had won solely thanks to

10 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

I went downstairs and there was

convinced him to call her and tell

People sense if you are telling

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

Radio Moshiach & Redemption

1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park

Rabbi Jacob Schwei

12 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

e are told that when

properties of trees and plants,

Shomron area and I would hike

every creation and plant and

IDEAS FOR NATURE ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS

superficially; he observes rows

different a week ago, knows the

14 10 Cheshvan 5776 - Hakhel

the summer you need to be more

stories about himself and his

When we teach a child about the plant world we

best navigator whom they all rely