CONTENTS

8
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
5 Parsha Thought
22 Hayom Yom & Moshiach
30 Halacha 2 Go
35 Tzivos Hashem

LIVING IN 770 - BEIS

CHAYEINU
Avrohom Rainitz

18 FROM SPUTNIK TO SPOT

Prof. Shimon Silman

GENIUS
24 UNASSUMING
AND DEVOTED MASHPIA
Avrohom Rainitz

18 32 THE RELIEF EFFORTS

Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272
is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only
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2016-12-06 2:09:03 PM

DVAR MALCHUS

HOW IS IT
POSSIBLE
TO STOP
YEARNING?!
Translated by Boruch Merkur

he entire time Yaakov was

in exile, he knew that it was
not his place, per se, and
he proceeded without any
interruption, making his way to his
true place. Thus, the verse states,
haloch halachta, using a repetitive
expression, indicating that Yaakov
did not view his traveling as a oneway trip out of Charan, focusing only
on his redemption from Lavan, but
as a continual journey, a non-stop
round-trip, serving G-d even while
in exile [haloch] as a preparation for
redemption [halachta].

EMERGING FROM CHARAN

WITH INTEGRITY INTACT
The departure of Yaakov from
Beer Sheva and his descent into
Charan ([the place that] arouses
the anger of G-d), the home of
Lavan HaArami, alludes to the
general concept of decent into exile.
In the same sense, the redemption
and ascent of Yaakov from Charan,
upon his return to Eretz Yisroel
the Land of Israel, the land of his
fathers sojourning alludes to
rising up from exile in the true and
complete redemption.
From this it is understood that

all the details of this weeks Torah

portion connected with Yaakovs
residing with Lavan and his journey
from there provide a lesson about the
exile and redemption in our time.
The descent of Yaakov into the
exile of Charan, in order to stay
with Lavan HaArami, was indeed a
dramatic decline, to the point that
it says in the Hagada that Lavan
HaArami was worse than Pharaoh,
King of Egypt, For Pharaoh only
decreed against the males, whereas
Lavan sought to uproot the entirety
[of the Jewish people].
However, Yaakovs descent was
for the sake of a subsequent ascent,
as related in the Torah portion,
VaYeitzei. That is, not only was
Yaakov not influenced from being
there, in Charan on the contrary;
he emerged from their fully intact,
whole, in the ultimate state of
integrity, to the extent that it says,
the man [Yaakov] increased to the
extreme. In fact, he even managed
to have an influence over the exile
itself and over Lavan HaArami,
bringing about their refinement.
This concept is elucidated in Toras
Chaim (of the Mitteler Rebbe,
whose redemption we are presently
celebrating), where it interprets the

verse, And Lavan went and returned

to his place Yaakov brought
Lavan (from where he had been,
a very lowly state, inferior to even
Pharaoh) back to his [lofty spiritual]
source and root, the level of Loven
HaElyon, Supernal Whiteness.
Thus, And Yaakov went on his
way, rising up from exile en route
to Eretz Yisroel, the land of his
fathers sojourning, and he was
met by angels of the L-rd. This
journey represents the unification of
Eretz Yisroel and the Diaspora, the
very purpose of descent into exile.

LONGING TO RETURN
TO HIS FATHERS HOUSE
The above sheds light on the
story in the Torah portion, VaYeitzei,
as follows. Still, while he was in exile,
with Lavan HaArami, Yaakov was in
the state of, you have gone, gone
away (haloch halachta), for you
longed, longed (nichsof nichsafta)
for your fathers house, words that
Lavan spoke to Yaakov, indicated
that Lavan himself detected where
Yaakovs heart had been. Namely,
longing to return to his fathers
house.
The entire time Yaakov was in
exile, he knew that it was not his
place, per se, and he proceeded

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Dvar Malchus
without
any
interruption,
making his way to his true place.
Thus, the verse states, haloch
halachta, using a repetitive
expression,
indicating
that
Yaakov did not view his traveling
as a one-way trip [out of Charan,
focusing only on his redemption
from Lavan], but as a continual
journey [a non-stop round-trip, if
you will], serving G-d even while
in exile [haloch] as a preparation
for
redemption
[halachta].
Yaakovs service in exile was itself
a part of his journey to his true
place, the land of his fathers
sojourning.
And even before he arrived
at the land of his fathers
sojourning, he desired and
yearned for it, nichsof, not
just once thereby fulfilling his
obligation, as it were but the
entire time the redemption had
not arrived, nichsof nichsafta!

JUST GOING FORWARD

TO THE REDEMPTION!
This provides us with a lesson
regarding the present exile and
redemption, a lesson that is in
line with the teaching of the Alter
Rebbe that one must live with
the times, with the weekly Torah
portion, and in our case, Parshas
VaYeitzei:
To be sure, the entire descent
into exile, the doubled and
redoubled darkness of exile, is for
the sake of a subsequent ascent,
in order to achieve the greater
height of the true and complete
redemption.
The entire time that we are
in exile we must constantly be
traveling, haloch halachta, to
the redemption, not being put
off by anything nor reckoning
with any other consideration.
We are not even threatened by
[such a formidable opponent

as] Lavan HaArami, who boasts

an impressive pedigree son of
Bsuel, son of Nachor, son of
Terach, etc. We do not reckon
with him or his arguments at
all; we just going forward to the
redemption!
All the while we remain in
exile, our stance must be nichsof
nichsafta, yearning for and
desiring the redemption, utterly
preoccupied with the thought:
when will we finally merit the
redemption?! And even after
feeling this longing once, even to
the point of soul expiration if
Moshiach still has not come, one
mustnt stop yearning. Rather,
nichsof nichsafta, he continues
to desire and yearn [as suggested
by the repetitious expression].
As long as Moshiach has still not
come, how is it possible to stop
yearning?!
(From the address of Shabbos Parshas
VaYeitzei, 10 Kislev 5746, bilti muga)

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PARSHA THOUGHT

NINETEEN: THE
INCORRUPTIBLE
CORE
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

YAAKOVS
CELESTIAL DREAM
The
beginning
of
our
parsha relates how Yaakov fled
the wrath of his brother and
travelled towards Charan. On
the way there, he fell asleep and
dreamt of a ladder situated on
the earth and reaching into the
heavens, with angels going up
and down the ladder. In his
dream, G-d promises him and his
descendants the land upon which
he was lying. He also promised
him that his descendants would
be as numerous as the dust of the
earth and that the entire world
will be blessed through Yaakov
and his descendants.
When Yaakov awakens, he
realizes that this was no ordinary
place, and exclaims:
G-d is truly in this place
and I didnt realize it. . . How
awesome this place is! This is
none other than the house of
G-d. This is the gate of heaven.
The Torah then relates:
Yaakov arose in the morning.
He took the stone that he had
placed at his head, set it up as
a monument, and poured oil on
top of it. He named the place
Beis-E-l, but Luz was originally
the name of the city.

Our Sages identify the place

of this vision as none other than
the Temple Mount, the eventual
site of the Beis HaMikdash.
It was also the place Avraham
brought Yitzchak for the Akeida
and the location of Yitzchaks
prayer when he met Rivka.

THE LUZ BONE

AND JERUSALEM
However, the one enigmatic
detail here is the identification of
this place by the name Luz. Why
was it important to emphasize
that this place was once called
Luz? How does that contribute to
the story and our understanding
of the effect this experience had
on Yaakov and on his progeny,
the Jewish people.
Rabbeinu
Bachya,
a
14th
century
commentator,
explains that the name Luz is
an allusion to the Talmudic
tradition concerning the future
Resurrection of the Dead. One
of the Thirteen Principles of Faith
is the belief that in the Messianic
Age, the souls of the dead will
return to their reconstituted
bodies. This miracle will happen
in a somewhat natural fashion.
The Talmud states that there
is one tiny bone in the body
that is indestructible. It cannot

be destroyed even by fire. It is

from this bone that G-d will
reconstruct the entire body. This
bone is called the Luz bone.
Just as the Luz bone is the
nucleus of a new existence,
Rabbeinu Bachya writes, so
too Jerusalem is where all of
existence started. King David
expresses the centrality of
Jerusalem as the starting point
of the world in his Psalms (50:12): O G-d Almighty, G-d
speaks, and calls to the earth
from the rising of the sun to
its setting. G-d appears out of
Zion, the perfection of beauty.
Rabbeinu Bachya interprets this
to mean that all of existence (the
earth from the rising sun to its
setting) came forth from Zion,
which refers to Jerusalem and the
Beis HaMikdash.
In other words, referring to
Jerusalem as Luz reveals to us
the secret of Jerusalem as an
eternal city. Just as the Luz bone
is indestructible and will provide
the nucleus of new life in the
Messianic Age, Jerusalem is an
eternal city (and so too are the
Jewish people an eternal people).
Hence, when Yaakov comes to
the Temple Mount in the center
of Jerusalem where G-d reveals
himself to him and promises him
and his progeny the inheritance

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PARSHA THOUGHT
of the Land of Israel G-d
alludes to the indestructibility
of his people and the eternal
character of the land they will
inherit, particularly, Jerusalem
and the Holy Temple.
Although the Temple was
destroyed, it will be replaced by a
permanent structure. So too the
Jewish people will return from
a long exile to their homeland
forever.
The awesome power of all this
is hinted at in the name Luz, the
indestructible bone from which
renewed existence will take place.

NOT A REAL CHANGE

By saying that Luz was
the original name of the city,
the Torah wants to impress
upon us what we may consider
to be counterintuitive: the
power of immortality was the
original state of the world.
Death and destruction were a
superimposition on the natural
and intrinsic status of existence.
In the end, death will be removed
forever and eternal life will be
reinstated. This leads us to the
radical conclusion that, even
now, death is an aberration.
To illustrate this point, the
Rebbe cites the law that if a thief
steals furniture and alters it,
he is not required to return the
piece, but rather pay its value.
If, however, the change can be
reversed, it is not considered an
actual change and he is required
to return the object. The Talmud
coins the phrase: A change that
can revert to its original status is
not a change.
The same is true about the
reversal of eternal life. Since it
will be reversed in the future it is
not a true change.
The existence of the Luz bone
reinforces the notion that we
possess an indestructible power

at the core of our existence.

YAAKOV NEVER DIED

We can now begin to
understand what the Talmud
(Taanis 5) means when it says
that Yaakov never died. Yaakov
represents immortality more
than any other righteous person
although it can be said of all
righteous people that their soul
and legacy live on. But Yaakov
was unique in that his not dying
is a physical fact. According
to Rashis commentary, even
Yaakovs body is alive. He
was buried only because his
contemporaries thought he had
died.
Yaakov was unique in this
regard because he had the
exclusive
responsibility
of
establishing the Jewish nation.
He had to insure that the Jewish
nation would acquire the power
of immortality, so as their
progenitor he too had to possess
this power. It may be suggested
that he received this power from
his nocturnal experience at the
site of the original city Luz, the
city of eternal life.

THE 19TH BLESSING

When the Talmud discusses
the important Amida prayer
(which originally consisted of 18
blessings and is therefore called
Shmoneh Esrei-18), it states
that the blessings correspond
to the 18 vertebrae of the
spine.
[Commentators
have
reconciled modern anatomy with
the Talmudic tradition of 18
vertebrae.] The Talmud then asks
what about the 19th blessing,
added later to ask G-d for the
destruction of informers and
other evil people. What does that
19th blessing correlate with?
The Talmud answers that
it corresponds to the small

vertebra of the spine. This small

vertebra, the 11th century Aruch
states, is the Luz bone.
We can understand the
connection between the Luz bone
and the city of Jerusalem. Both
symbolize eternal life. But how
does the indestructible Luz bone
relate to the blessing in which we
ask G-d to punish the wicked?
To answer this question, it is
necessary to understand what
distinguishes the Luz bone from
all the other parts of the human
anatomy that are subject to
death and decomposition. The
Midrash teaches us that the Luz
bone was the only part of Adams
anatomy that did not benefit
from the forbidden fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge. Hence, the
curse of death that has plagued
humanity as a result of Adams
transgression did not apply to the
Luz bone.
Underlying the above thought
is the belief that not only is the
soul pure and holy but also
the human body possesses an
incorruptible core.
When the original Amida
prayer was composed, it had, as
stated, 18 blessings. The number
18, of course, is the gematria
value of chai-life. These blessings
were requests for G-ds support
in all matters of life. When,
however, society degenerated and
evil influences were threatening
the very life of Judaism and the
Jewish people, the Sage Shmuel
Hakatan incorporated the 19th
blessing into the Amida. While
the number 18 represents the
conventional form of life, 19 is
the power of the indestructible,
incorruptible core of the Luz,
which insures purity and life even
within the realm of the physical
and degenerate.
As such, it has the power to
neutralize the forces of negativity
that threaten life associated with

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the 18 blessings. When that 19th

prayer was inserted into the
Amida it contained the power to
remove every vestige of evil left
over from the Tree of Knowledge
transgression, which led to a
mixture of good and evil, which
in turn led to death.

THE 19TH OF KISLEV:

ROSH HASHANAH FOR
ETERNAL LIFE
The number 19 has assumed
even greater significance in
modern history. On the 19th
of this month of Kislev 5559
(1798), Rabbi Schneur Zalman
of Liadi (known as the Alter
Rebbe, the founder of Chabad)
was
released
from
tsarist
imprisonment. As a result, he
was given a new lease on life.
This enabled him to continue
and increase his dissemination of
the teachings of Chassidus. This
day has become known as the
Rosh Hashanah for Chassidus
and marks a major turning point
on the road to Moshiach and
Redemption.
The Baal Shem Tov related
that he had ascended on high
and asked the soul of Moshiach
when
will
you
come?
Moshiachs answer was, When

The fact that it all began on the 19th day of the

month is not an accident. In light of our analysis
of the 19th blessing of the Amida and its connection to the
life sustaining and evil negating Luz bone, it is reasonable
to conclude that the Alter Rebbes release from prison
dealt a major blow to the forces of evil and advanced the
introduction of the eternal life dynamic.

your fountains of knowledge will

be disseminated to the farthest
reaches. The thrust towards
Moshiach thus began in earnest
after the 19th of Kislev of the
year 1798 when the Alter Rebbe
was liberated and has greatly
expanded the spreading of this
knowledge.
The fact that it all began on the
19th day of the month is not an
accident. In light of our analysis
of the 19th blessing of the Amida
and its connection to the life
sustaining and evil negating Luz
bone, it is reasonable to conclude
that the Alter Rebbes release
from prison dealt a major blow
to the forces of evil and advanced
the introduction of the eternal life
dynamic.
It is no wonder the Rebbe
Rashab (Rabbi Sholom Dovber,
the fifth Rebbe of Lubavitch)

stated that on the 19th of Kislev:

The light and life of our soul
was given to us.
In sum, this dynamic force
is represented by the number
19; one more than 18, for it
contributes immortality to the
conventional understanding and
experience of life.

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Issue 1047

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FEATURE

LIVING IN 770 BEIS CHAYEINU

R

Berel is one of
the
regulars
at
farbrengens in Beis
Chayeinu and R
Zalman is a gabbai in Beis Chayeinu
for many years. Most of the special
furnishings in Beis Chayeinu are
thanks to their father. They were
one of the first Lubavitcher families
who lived near 770 and they spent
all their childhood years around
Beis Chayeinu.
In a Chassidishe farbrengen
we had together, the two of them
shared fascinating stories about
their childhood, their fathers

special relationship with the

Rebbe before the nesius, and
more.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE

REBBE BEFORE THE NESIUS
Your father, R Yaakov
Lipsker, merited to serve the
(future) Rebbe when he arrived
in Paris in 1947 to meet his
mother, Rebbetzin Chana ah.
What do you know about that
time?
R Zalman: When the Rebbe
arrived in Paris, he asked our

father whether our mother

could cook for him every day.
My father, of course, said yes,
and the Rebbe asked that the
meal include fish. He said that
sfarim say that if the souls of
the righteous are reincarnated,
they are in fish. And what if there
wasnt any fresh fish? In that
case, said the Rebbe, to make
a schmaltz herring. One time,
there were no fish to be had, so
my mother prepared schmaltz
herring. It had a very strong smell
but its what the Rebbe wanted.
Every morning she cooked

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The Lipsker brothers, R Chaim Sholom

Dovber (Berel) and R Shneur Zalman,
are an integral part of the 770 scene.
They have spent thousands of hours
in Beis Chayeinu, from their early
childhoods until today. * At a special
farbrengen with Beis Moshiach, the
two told of the special relationship
their father had with the Rebbe, even
before the nesius, about childhood
games in the courtyard of Beis
Chayeinu and near Rebbetzin Chanas
house, about a family yechidus with
the Rebbe with special kiruvim, and
about the role of gabbai that added
a whole new dimension to the special
family connection with 770.
Interview by Avrohom Rainitz
Photos by Chaim Touito

the food and at exactly eleven

oclock the Rebbe would open
his door at the hotel he was
staying at to take the food. My
father learned about the Rebbes
precision because when he came
earlier, the door was locked and
it was opened at exactly eleven. If
he was late, even by one minute,
he had to wait a while until the
Rebbe opened the door.
R Berel: My father used the
time in which he gave the Rebbe
food to ask various questions.
One of the times, the Rebbe was
involved in a phone conversation

with an amazing man, Chacham

Shushani (see article about him in
issue #1001). My father wanted
to wait until the Rebbe finished
talking, but the Rebbe told him
that when Chacham Shushani
was talking, he could hear my
father at the same time, and while
Chacham Shushani was doing
the talking, he should say what
he wanted to say. And the Rebbe
listened to both simultaneously
(even though Chacham Shushani
discussed deep Torah matters
with the Rebbe).
Before the Rebbe returned

to New York, he wanted to pay

my parents 5000 francs for
their efforts. My father refused
to accept the money and when
the Rebbe told him, If I would
have known that you would not
want to accept payment, I would
not have troubled you so much,
my father replied, If I would
have known that you intended
on paying me, I would not have
agreed to serve.
When the Rebbe did not give
in, my father suggested that the
Rebbe give the money to the
Rebbe Rayatz for maamud. The

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Feature
Rebbe agreed, on condition that
my mother accept the money
and then they could give the
money for maamud. The Rebbe
also gave my mother a volume of
Likkutei Dibburim.

THE AMAZING DREAM AND

THE REBBES REACTION
You said that your father
used his daily encounters with
the Rebbe to ask questions. Did
he tell you any details?
R Berel: My father told us
only two things. The first has to
do with a dream that he had the
night I was born. It was in Adar
5702 when we lived in Kutais
and my father had never seen
the Rebbe Rayatz. He dreamed
that he was going to a farbrengen
in the apartment of the Rebbe
Rayatz in 770 and suddenly, a tall
bachur wheeled in a wheelchair
on which sat an older, handsome
man. My father had not seen the
Rebbe before, but it was clear
to him that this was the Rebbe.
The Rebbe said to him, Yaakov,
repeat the maamer, VHarikosi
LaChem Bracha.
My father went to the elder
Chassidim in Kutais and asked
them whether they knew this
maamer. They all said no. One of
them said it wasnt possible that
such a maamer existed, since the
Rebbe Rayatzs maamarim were
based on the maamarim of the
Rebbeim and since there was no
such maamer in their writings,
it wasnt likely that the Rebbe
would say a maamer that began
with that verse.
My father kept his counsel
and in one of his encounters
with the Rebbe in Paris, he asked
him whether he knew of such a
maamer. The Rebbe asked why
he was asking and my father told
him about his dream. The Rebbe
asked him to repeat the details of

the dream.
When he finished, the Rebbe
took out a booklet called,
HaKria VHaKdusha out of his
suitcase. It was from Teves 5703
and the maamer was printed in it!
The Rebbe said, It is a wonder
to me! The maamer had just been
said and you already knew about
it.
The second thing my father
told us was that the Rebbe told
him to move to the United States
and live near the Rebbe Rayatz.
My father expressed his surprise
- shouldnt he first ask the Rebbe
Rayatz for permission? The
Rebbe said, There is no need to
ask. The Rebbe said he should
write a letter to the Rebbe Rayatz
in which he announced he was
moving and ask for a bracha.
Although my father greatly
respected the Rebbes son-in-law,
on a matter of such importance
he preferred asking. He received
a positive answer and we traveled
to America after Pesach 1948.
It is interesting that after
accepting the nesius, in the early
1950s, there were Lubavitchers
in Paris who heard the story
about my father and asked the
Rebbe for a bracha to move. The
Rebbe said no. To their question
why the Rebbe said yes then and
no now, the Rebbe said, Now
we see it differently.

THE REBBES GUIDANCE

A short while after you
arrived at Beis Chayeinu, you
moved to a farm in New Jersey
and only six years later did you
return to Crown Heights. Why
did your father do that?
R Berel: Our places of
residence were determined by
the Rebbeim. At first the Rebbe
Rayatz and then the Rebbe.
When my father arrived in the
US, we lived for a short while

on the Lower East Side. My

father raised funds for Tomchei
Tmimim. After being successful
in this, Rashag, the menahel
of the yeshiva, asked him to
continue. My father had yechidus
and told the Rebbe Rayatz about
Rashags offer and how he was
successful. The Rebbe listened
but said he had a different
mission for him - to buy a farm
from which he would make a
living.
Of course my father accepted
this but he had three questions
about how to go about it. 1)
Where would he find a farm?
2) How would he raise the large
sum of money he needed to buy
a farm? 3) What would he do
about his childrens chinuch?
To his first question, the
Rebbe suggested that he buy
a newspaper and look for ads
offering a farm for sale. As for the
second question, the Rebbe said
that as soon as he found a farm
he should submit a letter to the
secretaries with the cost, and he
would be given a loan of $1000
(a large amount in those days)
from the Rebbes personal fund.
As for the third question, the
Rebbe said the girls should learn
where they learned until now,
and to look for a good family
where they could board during
the week. Erev Shabbos, they
should go home to the farm. As
for me and my brother Avremel,
the Rebbe said we were learning
in a yeshiva in Crown Heights
and so we could be registered for
the dormitory. We should join
our sisters and go to our family
for Shabbos.
As soon as he left the Rebbes
room, my father bought a
newspaper where he found three
ads with farms for sale. With
three options, he had yechidus
again and the Rebbe told him
which farm to buy.

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In 5709 we packed our

belongings and moved to the
farm in New Jersey. My father
raised chickens for a living.
R Zalman: There were
many other Jewish farm owners
around us and within walking
distance from us was a small
town with some Jewish families
who opened a shul. My father,
with his Chassidic garb, greatly
strengthened the character of
the minyan and even had an
influence on those Jews who
were not regulars at the shul. A
Chassid creates an environment
and this is what happened.
On 12 Tammuz, shortly
after we moved to the farm, my
father went to attend the Rebbe
Rayatzs farbrengen. During the
farbrengen the Rebbe called my
father over and asked him: What
were you able to accomplish so
far?
My father said they bought
an Ein Yaakov and a shiur
would start the following week.
After the farbrengen, the Rebbe
MHM called my father over and
asked: Why didnt you tell the
Rebbe you are already learning?
My astonished father said: I
should say something which isnt
true?! The Rebbe would tell me
Im lying!
The Rebbe MHM said:
In order to give nachas, you
could have said you are already
learning.
R Berel: We heard this story
from our father and it was many
years later that I understood
the Rebbes reaction. In many
sichos the Rebbe says that when
you make a commitment to do
something good, it is like you are
already doing it.
Half a year later there was
a chicken epidemic and it was
no longer profitable to maintain
chicken coops. Since there were
major losses, my father had

yechidus again and asked what he

should do. Should he stay where
he was despite losing his source
of livelihood or had his shlichus
there ended and could they all
return to Crown Heights?
The Rebbe seemed not to
understand the question and
said the main reason he had
sent him to a farm was not to
make money, but to strengthen
religious matters in the area and
this shlichus had not yet ended.
He had started hearing reports
that things were starting to
change for the good so it wasnt
a good idea to leave at this time.

My father left the Rebbes

room with the understanding that
he had to remain where he was
as long as the Rebbe gave him
no other instructions. Even after
Yud Shevat 5710, when there
were difficulties running the farm
and my father asked the Rebbe
MHM, the Rebbe said no to his
leaving and said, since the Rebbe
sent you there, you cannot leave.
It was first in 5714 that
our father was told to leave. It
was during a yechidus when
the Rebbe was suddenly lost in
thought and then he said: Nu,
enough. Not necessarily a farm.

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STORIES FROM THE LIPSKER GROCERY STORE

Your fathers grocery store supplied items for the Rebbes household.
Do you have any special stories about that?
R Zalman: The Rebbetzin would make an order and we would deliver it
to her house. Sometimes she would ask that on the way to her home we stop
at other stores and buy other products for her. Of course, we were happy to
do so.
My father would also send mishloach manos to the Rebbe every Purim.
As children, we would love to deliver things to the Rebbetzin, both for the
privilege and for the tip that the Rebbetzin would give.
When we brought deliveries, sometimes the Rebbe was at home and he
would give us a tip. The Rebbetzin would say, Buy something good for
yourselves, and the Rebbe would say, Youll probably give some tzdaka
from this.
R Berel: The connection with the Rebbetzin continued even in later years.
I remember a special story that happened on Purim, I think it was 5747. I
went to the Rebbes house to deliver mishloach manos, as I did every year. I
started the tradition while my father was still alive. One of my daughters and
a niece went along with me. We always planned on arriving when the Rebbe
was not at home.
We rang the bell. The way it usually went was the Rebbetzin would
open the door and bring us into the living room. This time, the Rebbetzin
remained in the entrance. She had received information that the Rebbe
would be arriving soon and she wanted to remain close to the door.
Before we had a chance to leave, the door opened and the Rebbe walked
in. We didnt know where to bury ourselves. The whole event was shocking
and stunned us into silence. The Rebbe wished us a freilichin Purim and
crossed the foyer to the inner room. We left immediately.
Return to the city.
My
surprised
father
immediately asked where to move
and the Rebbe said, here.
There were two interesting
stories having to do with the
move, one with selling the farm
in New Jersey and the other with
buying a home in Crown Heights.
Since, at this time, the farming
market was terrible, it was hard
to find a buyer. My father told
the Rebbe about the problem
and said, It seems that from up
above, they are not allowing it to
be sold.
The Rebbe raised his hand
and made a dismissive motion
and said, What is going on up
above, we know. Go in peace and
sell the farm.
My father went home to the

farm and found someone waiting

there who asked to buy the farm.

THE FIRE AND THE

MIRACULOUS RESCUE
R Zalman: When we got to
Crown Heights, my father looked
for a large apartment, big enough
for eleven people. When he
finally found one, on the corner
of Nostrand and Park Place, the
Rebbe told him to rent it while
looking for something else to
buy. However, who would agree
to rent an apartment to such a
large family without at least a
two-year lease?
The apartment was on the
third floor. The one who made
the connection between my
father and the Jewish owner was

Yehoshua Pinson. The landlord,

R Yehoshua and my father had
a meeting. The rent was $87.50.
Yes, those were the rents once
upon a time At the meeting,
my father begged the landlord to
reduce the rent to $85, saying he
had just bought a grocery store
and he had many children to
support. $2.50 was a significant
amount of money.
The landlord leaned his head
on his hands and thought. He
finally looked upwards and said,
What do they want from me?
Then he said to my father, You
dont want a lease? Bring me
$87.50 every month.
This was a complete surprise
to my father because he hadnt
said anything about wanting to
rent short-term without a lease.
Of course, he immediately agreed
to the arrangement.
R Berel: We lived there for
half a year. On 9 Adar 1955, our
uncle, R Michoel Lipsker, came
to our home. He was sent by the
Rebbe to Morocco in 1950 and
he was coming to 770 for the
first time. As soon as he landed in
New York, he had yechidus with
the Rebbe. The yechidus took
two and a half hours and at the
end, around one in the morning,
the Rebbe told him it was time to
rest.
We - my father, brother,
and I, were in the grocery until
eleven, and then we went to 770
to wait for Michoel. When he
came out of the Rebbes room,
we took his suitcases and walked
with him to our house. My
parents and Michoel sat in the
kitchen and talked and I went to
bed. Suddenly, my father smelled
smoke. My mother opened the
door and saw the house filled
with smoke.
She instinctively closed the
door and ran to wake up the
children. Michoel ran to his

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suitcases in the hall but because

it was dark, he collided with
the big mirror that was hanging
there. My mother yelled to him
to leave the suitcases and take
the children. They took us in our
pajamas and rushed to the fire
escape that was in the kitchen.
Our screams woke the neighbors
and they also escaped the burning
building.
R Zalman: When we passed
the building afterward on the
way to yeshiva, we saw that it
was entirely destroyed. After the
fire, we were left with the clothes
on our backs and the coats we
managed to take with us as
we ran because it was freezing
outside. My coats collar was
completely singed.
R Berel: In the yechidus
before the fire, the Rebbe told
my uncle Michoel that he should
make a farbrengen or a kiddush

the upcoming Shabbos, I dont

remember exactly, and after
the fire, we understood why the
Rebbe said that. We made a big
kiddush with great joy and thanks
to Hashem for the miracles.
After the fire we lived in
an apartment on Carroll at the
corner of Troy. Before Pesach
1957 we moved to President,
right near where Rebbetzin
Chana lived. She lived in the
building where the dormitory is
today, 1414-1418.

DAILY ENCOUNTER
WITH THE REBBE AND
REBBETZIN CHANA
This is when a special period
in your life began, when you
lived near Beis Chayeinu, the
Rebbes house, and Rebbetzin
Chanas house.
R Berel: Yes. Although we

learned in Tomchei Tmimim

in Crown Heights for a number
of years, the yeshiva was on
Bedford, far from 770, and we
went home for Shabbos, as the
Rebbe Rayatz said to do. It was
only for Yom Kippur that we
went with my father to 770. I was
with the Rebbe Rayatz on Yom
Kippur and then with the Rebbe.
We also went with my father to
farbrengens on special occasions
but most of the year we were not
in 770.
A significant change began
in Tishrei 5713. A week and a
half earlier, on 18 Elul 5712,
the Rebbe spoke sharply against
the practice of sending talmidim
home for the Yomim Noraim
and said the talmidim should
stay in yeshiva. But the main
change occurred after we moved
to Crown Heights, when we
began attending the Rebbes

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Feature

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE REBBE

FOR BUILDING THE ARON KODESH
We cant talk about your lives around 770 without mentioning
gabbaus. Your father was the gabbai and R Zalman is too. How did that
come to be?
R Zalman: My father was involved with 770 long before he was elected
as gabbai. When I was a boy I would help him build the furniture for 770.
When I was fourteen, I built many benches with R Amram Malka and also
the special bima for Rosh HaShana. But that bima would come apart every
year after the tkios. It was only at the end of the 60s that my father built
a strong enough bima that lasted until 5750; then it was replaced with the
current bima.
My father also built the farbrengen table. Until then, they would put a
table on the floor of 770 that was the height of the farbrengen bima, and
then put another table on it. Of course this wasnt stable. My father built a
huge table made out of one board that was the height of two tables. The table
served the Rebbe for many years until the present table was built.
The amudim, aronos kodesh and many furnishings were also made by my
father. When he wanted to build the aron kodesh in the small zal, the Rebbe
told him not to replace the old aron kodesh which was in use during the
Rebbe Rayatzs lifetime. So my father built a cover for the old aron and he
also covered the chazans lectern.
My father also built the aron kodesh in the large zal. At first he thought of
building it recessed in the wall as is done in many shuls, but the Rebbe told
him it should stick out the way it did in the small zal in the days of the Rebbe
Rayatz.
The veteran gabbai, R Yochanan Gordon, died at the end of 5729.
Elections were held in 5730, and due to his great devotion to the shul, my
father was picked to be one of the gabbaim. A year later, when they wanted
to call other elections, someone suggested that the five gabbaim continue
serving and the idea was unanimously accepted.
In 5745, when my father passed away, they asked me and Berel to take
his place. Berel did not want to and I also strongly refused. I said I did not
want to force people to accept me over them. It was only when they held
elections the following year and I was duly elected that I became a gabbai.
farbrengens (usually on Shabbos
Mevarchim or special days), and
even more so when we moved
to President Street, very close to
770.
In those days, Crown Heights
was bustling with Jews, but only
a few of them were Lubavitchers.
Most Chabad Chassidim lived in
Brownsville which was half an
hour away from 770, so living
a four or five-minute walk from
770 was considered very close.
You mentioned that you lived

close to Rebbetzin Chana. Do

you have any stories about her?
Did you see the Rebbe go visit
her?
R Zalman: Of course we
saw. We would see the Rebbetzin
walking every day on the street
near her house. And we saw the
Rebbes daily visits to her.
As
young
children
we
would play ball on the corner
of Kingston and President. The
Rebbe would walk from 770
to Kingston and then turn into

President.
The
Rebbetzins
address was 1418, the second
house from the corner, where the
dormitory is today.
Whenever we saw the Rebbe
approaching we would run and
open the door of the building
for him. There were many times
that we did not notice the Rebbe
approaching and nearly bumped
into him as we played. One time,
the ball rolled toward the street
just as the Rebbe passed by. The
Rebbe picked up the ball and
threw it back to us.

CHILDHOOD GAMES:
THE REBBE AND THE
FARBRENGEN
As children, did you receive
any special attention from the
Rebbe?
R Zalman: First, you need
to know that the number of
Lubavitcher children in 770 at
that time was fewer than the
fingers on my hands. So the
attention we received from the
Rebbe was very pronounced.
On
Motzaei
Shabbasos,
a week after Rosh Chodesh,
we would stand in Gan Eden
HaTachton near the Rebbes door
and the Rebbe would often come
out and ask us to go and see
whether the moon was visible so
we could do kiddush levana. The
Rebbe left the door to his room
partially ajar so we could open
it and report to him. Then, at
kiddush levana, the Rebbe would
say shalom aleichem to us.
Every time the Rebbe finished
a tfilla or farbrengen we would
stand in Gan Eden HaTachton.
When the Rebbe entered his
room we would sing and the
Rebbe would encourage the
singing with his hands. Since we
were only a few children, it had a
very personal feel.
At the davening, we would

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take turns moving the table when

the Rebbe wanted to stand for
Shmoneh Esrei and would put it
back after the Rebbe returned to
his place.
R Berel: We were not present
throughout entire farbrengens.
After all, we were children and
we played outside. But often, the
Rebbe said the children should
say lchaim, and then they would
bring us inside. We would stand
on the table near the farbrengen
table and say lchaim to the
Rebbe.
R Zalman: I remember one
farbrengen in which the Rebbe
also gave the hanhala of the
yeshiva lekach to give out to
the children, but that was a rare
event. I think it happened once
a year and I dont remember
exactly when it occurred.
R Berel: We children would
follow the Rebbe at every
opportunity and the Rebbe also
gave us special personal attention.
For example, going to Tashlich
to the Botanic Gardens. At the
head of the procession were the
Rebbe, R Chadakov, and some
elder Chassidim, and we children
walked near the Rebbe. Behind
us walked everyone else.
R Zalman: Although we were
young children, the Rebbe was
the center of our lives, even in
our childhood experiences. For
example, in our free time we
would play a game called The
Rebbe and the farbrengen. One
child was in charge of clearing
a path, one set up the place
and another copied the Rebbes
motions, which we knew well
from actual farbrengens. All the
other kids were the Chassidim.
The Rebbe was an integral
part of our lives when we were
children. On Shabbos we would
check when the Rebbe was
coming and would try to find
out why this time it was later

or earlier. This was our entire

world.
One time, at the beginning
of the 60s, the Rebbe arrived
for Shacharis on Rosh HaShana
at 10:30. They said, citing the
Rebbetzin, that she saw the
Rebbe on Rosh HaShana night,
before she went to sleep, as he
sat at the table in the dining
room with his head leaning on
his hands and his face red. In the
morning, at 10:10, she saw him
in exactly the same position. It
was only when she told him that
it was already time to go to 770
that he roused himself from his

lofty thoughts.
After my bar mitzva, on
Sukkos 5723/1962, I had the
privilege of taking the Dalet
minim from the Rebbe. Whatever
everyone
experienced
and
remembers from Tishrei 5752,
we remember from those years.
I remember the Rebbe standing
in the sukka that was in the
empty lot next to 770. There
was an open seifer in front of
him (apparently the maamarim
of the Rebbe Maharash) and the
congregation that was not very
large in those days, passed by one
after the other. The Rebbe looked

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Feature
up from his book for a moment
as each once passed and said the
bracha. We saw this every year
as children and in 5723 I had
my turn. It was the last year in
which the Rebbe gave the minim
himself. The following year,
the Rebbe gave them to R Meir
Harlig to give to the Chassidim.

into my memory.
R Zalman: I contracted polio
when I was nine years old and it
was a severe form of the disease.
I was in a coma and the doctors
were very pessimistic. They told
my parents that it did not look
as though I would survive and
if I did, I would be completely

The Rebbe raised his hand and made a dismissive

motion and said, What is going on up above,
we know. Go in peace and sell the farm. My father went
home and found someone waiting there who asked to
buy the farm.

THE REBBE ASKED

ABOUT MY HAND
Do you remember personal
encounters that were specific to
you?
R Berel: After the passing
of the Rebbe Rayatz, we knew
that the Rebbe is the Rebbe,
even though he only officially
accepted the leadership on Yud
Shevat 5711. One day in 5710
or the beginning of 5711, I
was standing between the small
zal and Gan Eden HaTachton
and the Rebbe came out from
davening in the zal. He came
over to me, leaned slightly on my
shoulders and placed his hands
on my head. I cannot describe in
words how this felt. I was eight
years old.
The Rebbe asked me a
question. It was so long ago
and I was so overcome that I
dont remember exactly what
the question was, but it was
something like whats your name,
or what are you learning. I did
not respond. Although I was a
little boy, I knew what a Rebbe is.
That experience is etched deeply

paralyzed. My parents asked the

Rebbe for a bracha and against
all odds I woke up with only one
hand paralyzed.
Since my bar mitzva, when
I started going for yechidus to
the Rebbe on my birthday, for a
number of years the Rebbe would
ask about my hand. He told me to
find out whether any treatments
had been developed that could
help me regain function in my
hand. Every year I told him the
doctors recommendations but
the Rebbe dismissed them.
One year, the Rebbe told
me to speak to a certain doctor
and ask his advice. That doctor
recommended
a
series
of
operations and the Rebbe agreed
to this. That summer I went
through the operations that were
meant to restore partial function
in my paralyzed hand.
When I went for the first
operation, they asked me to
change into hospital clothes
and to remove my yarmulke. I
resolutely refused. When they
said I would not be able to be
operated on if I wore a yarmulke,
I said, never mind the operation.
They didnt know what to do

until the head nurse, who was

Jewish, came over and asked me
whether I could compromise. I
explained that a Jew must always
keep his head covered as a sign
of fear of heaven. She took out
a special hospital cap and asked:
If I promise you that this cap will
be on your head throughout the
operation, will you agree to wear
it? I said yes, and then she took a
big piece of white tape, the kind
they use in a hospital, and wrote
on it, Please do not remove this
cap from the patient for religious
reasons. She put the tape on the
cap that she put on my head and
that is how I went into surgery.
When I came out to the
recovery room, my mother
and brother Berel were waiting
for me. Berel was so excited
by the note on my cap that he
took it, put it into an envelope,
and submitted it to the Rebbe.
Apparently the Rebbe took great
pleasure from it for he wrote
in response: Many thanks,
many thanks, and to return the
enclosed.
A week later, I got a phone
call from the Rebbetzin who
said the Rebbe wants to see me
and my father. The Rebbetzin
instructed us not to tell anyone
and not to coordinate with the
secretaries, but to simply wait
near the Rebbes room before
Mincha and after R Binyamin
Gorodetzky would leave the
room, we should enter.
As soon as we entered, the
Rebbe asked me: Do you have the
yarmulke? At first, I did not know
what the Rebbe was referring to
and it took me a few moments to
realize that the Rebbe meant the
cap with the note on it. I said:
Yes, I think so. Then the Rebbe
blessed me: Show it to your
children and your grandchildren
and your great-grandchildren!
Then the Rebbe examined my

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hand and asked me to show him

what I could do with it.

THE REBBE ASKED ABOUT

EVERY DETAIL
Speaking of yechidus, did
anything interesting happen at
your bar mitzva yechidus?
R Zalman: For my bar
mitzva, I went in with my parents
for yechidus. At that time, Berel
had gone to Eretz Yisroel with
a group of bachurim to learn in
Tomchei Tmimim in Lud on the
Rebbes shlichus. In yechidus,
the Rebbe surprised us when he
said: I got regards from your son.
The
Rebbe
said
they
welcomed the group with great
honor and Berel sat at the head
of the table and reviewed the
maamer from so-and so
(meaning the Rebbes own
maamer). The Rebbe said that
if we wanted, after the yechidus,
we could go to his mother
and see the pictures that they
sent the Rebbe. I saw how the
Rebbe shared all his nachas and
every simcha with his mother,

Leibel Groner, opened the door

about ten times during the
yechidus in order to find out
what the delay was about.
I got married in Eretz Yisroel
on 27 Adar I and the Rebbe
asked when I thought I would
return to New York. I said, right
after sheva brachos, but the
Rebbe asked what was so urgent.
Then he asked, where do you
think you will celebrate Pesach.
When I said with my parents, the
Rebbe said, A shvigger, even a
good shvigger, is still a shvigger,
being sensitive to the feelings of
my new wife.
When I asked the Rebbe what
I should do for two months in
Eretz Yisroel until after Pesach,
he said I should go to Tzach
and offer to help with English
language activities and I should
also help the Vaad 71 Mosdos
that existed then.
This yechidus took twenty
minutes and I saw how the Rebbe
took an interest in every detail as
a father would for a son.

Rebbetzin Chana.
R Berel: My parents told me
after the yechidus that the Rebbe
even asked whether I had already
written to them from Eretz
Yisroel.
When our brother, Yosef
Yitzchok ah, had yechidus when
he became bar mitzva, the Rebbe
asked him what pilpul he had
prepared. He said it was on the
topic of how someone without
a hand could put on tfillin. The
Rebbe asked, and what about
someone without a head? My
brother remained calm and
replied that such a person cannot
live.
When we returned home,
my mother was very annoyed.
She could not understand why a
teacher would pick such a bizarre
topic that would cause the Rebbe
to ask a question like that...
R Zalman: I had yechidus
before I got married. I was used
to short audiences, two minutes
or less, but to my surprise, the
Rebbe began asking detailed
questions. The secretary, R

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REDEMPTION & SCIENCE

FROM SPUTNIK
TO SPOT
Swords Into Plowshares the 25th year Part 1
By Prof. Shimon Silman, RYAL Institute and Touro College

s we promised last year,

Parshas
Mishpatim,
5776, that since we are
entering the 25th year of
SIP (Swords into Plowshares)
we will be running a series of
articles on the latest developments
in this area.
And as we have just entered
the 60th year since the launch
of the first satellite, Sputnik, by
the Soviet Union, we will now
present a two-part series* on how
satellites have been transformed
from the most frightful military
event of its time to a technology
that saves lives from natural
disasters and from deadly

diseases as well as making our

daily lives much more convenient
and peaceful.
The first Sputnik satellite was
launched on October 4, 1957.
Why was it the most frightful
military event of its time? Well,
as the pasuk says, Ask your
father and he will tell you; your
elders and they will say it to
you. (Dvarim 32:7) In this
case however, it would probably
have to be your eldersyour
grandparents. The U.S. had
just come out of WWII where
an evil empire had attempted
to dominate the world. Now a
new evil empire had arisenthe
Soviet Unionand they were

trying to do the same thing. They

already had nuclear weapons and
the U.S. had recently fought the
Korean War against a proxy of
the Soviet Union. These were the
dark days of the Cold War.
Historians
compare
the
reaction of the American public
to the successful launch of
Sputnik to the shock and panic
that they felt after the attack
on Pearl Harbor. It created
the appearance of a serious
technological gap between the
U.S. and the Russians that
had menacing implications. As
Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (later
to be President Johnson) put it, I
remember the profound shock of

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realizing that it might be possible

for another nation to achieve
technological superiority over this
great country of ours. One of
his aides spelled it out even more
clearly, saying, The simple fact
is that we can no longer consider
the Russians to be behind us in
technology. It took them four
years to catch up to our atomic
bomb and nine months to catch
up to our hydrogen bomb. Now
we are trying to catch up to
their satellite. Johnson is also
reported to have said that soon
the Russians would be dropping
bombs on us like kids drop stones
on passing cars going under an
overpass.
Fast forward to the days
of Swords into Plowshares
which is all about reduced threat
perception. While there are still
threats, they are more a matter of
posturing rather than preparing
for war. In practice, the powerful
nations of the world are more
interested in cooperation than
conflict. A case in point is the
controversy over the islands in
the South China Sea, claimed by
China as well as other nations.
A recent Bloomberg News
report analyzes this situation
and explains that while there is
a possibility of this leading to
war, its unlikely because China
does not want to interrupt the
5 trillion dollars in trade that
passes through the area. So
the threats have been reduced
considerably. The U.S. and
Russia now cooperate in space,
most famously in the Space
Station. When our space shuttle
program was cancelled, we had
astronauts up there in the space
station, and it was the Russians
who brought them back!
But theres a lot more. In
this series we will discuss how
satellites, which are continually
upgraded, are being used to
save peoples lives from natural

disasters and to stop the spread

of deadly diseases. (You cant get
more peaceful than that!)
Furthermore, since this series
is being published in Kislev,
we will mention the famous
sicha that the Rebbe MHM
said at the Chanuka Live event
in 5752 (broadcast worldwide
by satellites) about the real
significance of satellites.

PEACEFUL USES
OF SATELLITES
The peaceful uses of satellites
have become so pervasive in
civilian society that they are
now taken for granted. We dont
even pay attention to the fact
that so many aspects of our lives
are guided by something in the
heavens; we just assume that
everything is going to work as it
should.
In 2013 a BBC reporter
described how the day to day
life of people around the world
would be affected if the satellites
failed. He described a range
of scenarios, ranging from
the humorous, The loss of
television satellites meant that
many families missed the cheery
rehearsed smiles of breakfast
TV presenters, and were forced
to talk to each other over their
cereal instead, to the serious,
Communications,
transport,
power and computer systems
were severely disrupted. Global
business ground to a halt and
governments were struggling to
cope, to the actually dangerous,
Without weather satellite data, a
storm system developing rapidly
over the ocean was missed and
the aircraft flew straight into
it
In this article, we will present
some of the more important uses
of satellites in civilian life. Here
is a list of some of them; a few

will be discussed in detail in the

sequel.
C o m m u n i c a t i o n .
Satellites provide in-flight phone
communications on airplanes,
and are often the main channel
of voice communication for
rural areas and areas where
phone lines are damaged after a
disaster. They also provide the
primary timing source for cell
phones and pagers. In 1998, a
satellite failurethis actually
happeneddemonstrated
this
dependence.
It
temporarily
silenced 80 percent of the pagers
in the United States. Also, a
national radio network (NPR)
was not able to distribute its
broadcasts to affiliates.
I
consulted
with
an
acquaintance of mine, Daniel
Friedmann of Vancouver, BC,
Canada, on various aspects of
satellites. Friedmann is a satellite
expert and was formerly CEO of
MDA Corporation, a company
that builds satellites, for 20
years. He commented that, We
are probably within 5 years of
everyone on earth having access
to the internet via satellite.
This will allow Moshiach to
communicate with every person
on earthwithout a miracle
required!
Satellites are also increasingly
important to the developing
world. For a country like India,
with
populations
separated
by rough terrain and different
languages,
communications
satellites
provide
remote
populations access to education
and to medical expertise that
would otherwise not reach them.
Navigation.
Satellite
based navigation systems, like
the Navstar Global Positioning
Systems (GPS), enable anyone
with a handheld receiver to
determine their location to within
a few meters. GPS locators are

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Redemption & science

increasingly included in in-car
direction services and allow carshare services to locate their cars.
GPS based systems are used for
navigation on land, sea, and air,
and are crucial in situations like
a ship or an airplane making a
difficult course in bad weather.
Weather
and
Environment. Satellites provide
meteorologists with the ability
to see weather on a global scale,
allowing them to follow the
development of large systems
like hurricanes and the effects
of phenomena like volcanic
eruptions and burning gas and oil
fields.
They are also some of the
best sources of data for climate
research. Satellites monitor ocean
temperatures and prevailing
currents. Imaging satellites can
measure the changing sizes of
glaciers, which is difficult to
do from the ground due to the
remoteness and darkness of
the Polar Regions and they can
determine long term patterns of
rainfall and vegetation cover etc.
Search and Rescue.
Earth observation satellites can
monitor ocean and wind currents
as well as the extent of forest fires,
oil spills, and airborne pollution.
Together, this information helps
organize emergency responders
and environmental cleanup. In
search and rescue missions,
satellites can search for people
in distress in remote regions.
Distress radio signals directly
linked to a search and rescue
satellite can lead rescuers quickly
and accurately to a land, sea, or
air emergency location.
Stop the Spread of
Disease. By tracking vector
borne diseases and warning in
advance where the next outbreak
is likely to occur. This will be
discussed at length in Part 2 of
this series.

Earth
Resources.
Satellites can detect underground
water and mineral sources,
monitor the transfer of nutrients
and contaminants from land
into waterways, and measure
land and water temperatures,
the growth of algae in seas, and
the erosion of topsoil from land.
They can efficiently monitor
large-scale infrastructure, for
example fuel pipelines that need
to be checked for leaks, which
would require enormous hours
of land or air-based inspection.
Imaging satellites produce high
resolution data of almost the
entire landmass on earth such
data used to be a closely guarded
military capability, but now,
nearly anyone with an internet
connection can find his house
using Google Earth. Earth
observation satellites also allow
developing countries to practice
informed resource management
and relief agencies to follow
refugee population migrations.

SATELLITE UPGRADES
We now begin a detailed
discussion of how satellites are
being used today for peaceful
purposes. Our starting point
will be the famous lecture of
Dr. Naftali Berg zl at the
1993 Moshiach and Science
Conference of the RYAL Institute.
He spoke about how satellites are
now being used to locate and
identify land that is suitable for
agriculture and to find resources
deep beneath the surface of the
earth which cant be located
by conventional means. He
discussed the Landsat, Land TM
and ERS1 satellites specifically.
The Landsat 7 satellite, a
much more technologicallyadvanced version of the Landsat
satellite discussed by Dr. Berg,
was launched on April 15, 1999.
Landsat 7s sensor has been

called the most stable, best

characterized Earth observation
instrument ever placed in
orbit. The Landsat satellite
program drew on technologies
developed under U.S. military
reconnaissance satellite programs
like Corona. Commercial highresolution systems currently
prepared by US consortia are
essentially civilian copies of
earlier U.S. military systems,
usually developed by the same
companies that developed the
military systems.
On February 11, 2013,
Landsat 8 was launched from
Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California.
Landsat 8 was a collaboration
between NASA and the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS).
NASA
led
the
design,
construction, launch, and initial
calibration of the satellite.
(They called it the Landsat Data
Continuity Mission.) On May 30,
2013, USGS took over operation
of the satellite and it became
known as Landsat 8.
The satellite travels in a polar
orbit, passing over the north
and south poles about every 100
minutes capturing images on the
sunlit side of the earth every time
it passes over. It makes about
14 orbits of the earth each day,
covering the entire earth every 16
days.
Landsat 8 has two imaging
instruments covering different
parts of the electromagnetic
spectrum:
Thermal
Infrared
Sensor (TIRS). This instrument
monitors infrared wavelengths
(heat); it records temperatures
of points on the earth as it passes
over.
Operational
Land
Imager (OLI). This instrument
monitors visible light and
shortwave infrared wavelengths

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that are close to visible light so

it actually photographs points
on the surface of the earth as it
passes over.
Previous Landsat satellites
used
several
whisk-broom
sensors that quickly moved
back and forth scanning a
location on the earth. The
major technological innovation
of Landsat 8 is its pushbroom sensorsthousands of
stationary sensors that can focus
on and photograph individual
picture elements (pixels) on the
earths surface as it passes over.
The images Landsat records
are sent to the Earth Resources
Observation and Science center
(EROS) and are available to
everyone at no cost.

SPOT AND OTHER

SATELLITES
SPOT is the French version
of Landsat, developed by the
Centre
National
dEtudes
Spatiales (CNES), the French
space agency. SPOT is an
Continued from page 34
family units be granted knitting
machines to enable them to
become self-dependent and earn
their livelihood independent
of outside help. With this
assistance of machines and
materials they will cease being
a burden to us, to you and to
other relief agencies.
I believe this will receive your
favorable attention, as was
indicated to me during todays
meeting and I trust action on
this will begin shortly.
During the following months,
Rabbi Gorodetsky met with the
heads of the JDC to bring this
plan to fruition, as is evident
from this letter sent from Rabbi

acronym for the French Satellites

Pour lObservation de la Terra
(satellites for the observation of
the earth).
Between 1986 and 2002, five
SPOT satellites were launched
which subsequently delivered
excellent imagery of the earth
for applications similar to those
of Landsat, including mapping,
vegetation monitoring, land use
and land cover, and the impacts
of natural disasters as well as oil
and mineral exploration, water
resources, and environmental
monitoring.
It was the first European
Earth-observation
satellite
program and some of the
SPOT satellites had technical
advantages over the Landsat
satellites.
In
2015
CNES
took
SPOT 5 out of orbit, ending
its involvement in the SPOT
program. But it was picked up by
Airbus, a private company, which
had already launched SPOT 6 in
2012 and SPOT 7 in 2014. All
the data and images from SPOT

1 through SPOT 5 are available

at no cost to anyone for noncommercial purposes.
In December 2014, SPOT
7 was sold toAzerbaijans space
agency,
Azercosmos,
which
renamed
it
Azersky.
(How
about that! From Sputnik to
SPOT, then SPOT goes back to
Azerbaijan, a country from the
former Soviet Union.)
SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 are
expected to continue to provide
high resolution data until 2024.
We have emphasized Landsat
and SPOT because we have been
following them since the 1990s
but now there are a lot of satellites
doing similar things, some from
non-governmental corporations.
We mention especially the widely
used
DigitalGlobe
satellites
and the Radarsat satellites of
the Canadian Space Agency.
There are also many Israeli and
Japanese satellites.

Gorodetsky to Mr. William

Beckelman (JDC Paris) on July 9
1947 [21 Tamuz 5707]:
Dear Mr. Beckelman,
You will recall our meeting
with Mr. Aronovichy with
respect to the purchase of a
knitting mill to enable displaced
persons to earn an independent
livelihood. We all agreed in
principle that the plan was a
sound one and the details of
operation and administration I
submitted, orally and written,
met with everyones approval.
Since I have not heard from
you since, I feel that we are
letting, a wonderful opportunity
slip through our hands. With
each passing day, as you might
understand, the selling price

is increasing and inasmuch as

that at the time of our meeting
we agreed that the price asked
for was acceptable to all parties
concerned, this may not be
necessarily so if further delays
are incurred.
Because the general view
held by the conferees was a
favorable one, I find it difficult
to understand why no further
action has been taken on the
proposal. Might I suggest
that you kindly grant us an
appointment whereby I will
be able to discuss this further
with you with the view of
bringing the plan to a favorable
consummation.
I eagerly anticipate hearing
from you at the earliest
opportunity.

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HAYOM YOM & MOSHIACH

JOYOUS
PRAYER
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

In this weeks Parsha, Parshas
VaYeitzei, the Torah tells about
the journey of Yaakov Avinu
to Lavan and his subsequent
marriage to Rachel and Leah,
which lead to the birth of the
Shvatim and the building of
Bnei Yisroel. One of the most
discussed parts of the Parsha is
the dream that Yaakov has on
his way to Lavan. Yaakov falls
asleep on Har HaMoria and has
a dream in which he sees a ladder
on which angels are ascending
and descending. Yaakov Avinu
is then blessed by Hashem and
given a promise that he will
eventually return to Eretz Yisroel.
In the HaYom Yom (5 Kislev),
the Rebbe writes: A ladder was
standing on the ground. Prayer
is the ladder that connects souls
and Gdhood. And although it
stands ...on the ground, the
start of davening being no more
than
acknowledgement,
yet
its top reaches the Heavensa state of total bittul, selfnullification. But one reaches
this level through the prior
attainment of comprehension
and understanding inherent in
Psukei DZimra, in the brachos
of Shma and in Shma proper.
From this HaYom Yom we
see that the Torah is not just

telling us a nice story about

what happened to Yaakov Avinu,
rather it is teaching us how
we can climb and reach the
heavens. It is through the power
of Tfilla. Tfilla is translated as
prayer but in truth, it means
to connect. Tfilla means
joining
or
connecting.
(See Rashi to BReishis 30:8
concerning the naming Naftali.)
In the words of the HaYom Yom
of 11 Tishrei, Davening with
simple faith joins the essence of
the soul with the essence of the
Infinite, so that the Essence of
the En Sof will be the Healer of
the ill, and He Who blesses the
years.
I will never forget a
conversation that I had with a
young man in Portland, Oregon.
I was there as a staff member in
a Yeshivas Kayitz. We went to
do some Mivtzaim in the famous
Pioneer Square in downtown
Portland. We met a Jewish man,
Gabriel, who had never put on
Tfillin before and was so happy
to do the Mitzva. We then invited
him to come to Shabbos dinner
that night.
He came that night and
was so inspired that he decided
to come to Shiurim and learn
Torah. In just a few weeks he was
fully immersed in our program.

One day, after Shacharis, we

were speaking and he tells me,
You know Gershon, I am jealous
of the Muslims! I was shocked;
what was he talking about?! He
explained himself: Praying is
so special and uplifting. I feel
so connected to Hashem when I
pray. It is a shame that we only
get to pray three times a day
and not five times a day like the
Muslims!
I could not help but be
amazed. Many of us are raised
frum from birth and we view
davening as something that is part
of our schedule and something
that we need to do. It was so
refreshing and eye-opening to
hear someone who has got the
point of what davening is really
all about: connecting to Hashem.
Davening has always been
a central theme in the Avoda of
Chassidim. It is told in the name
of the Alter Rebbe that when he
made up his holy mind to exile
himself to a place of Torah (i.e.,
go to a place where he would
receive spiritual guidance), he
could not decide where to go.
He had heard that there were
two different centers of Torah: in
Vilna, they taught how to study,
but in Mezritch, they taught how
to daven.
For quite some time he

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weighed and judged the matter

in his mind to determine which
direction he would take. Various
factors went into his final
decision made in the middle of
his journey to go to the place
where they taught how to daven.
Before we discuss a unique
innovation that the Rebbe wants
us to instill in our davening as
a preparation for Moshiach, let
us first learn some other quotes
of the HaYom Yom that will give
us the right perspective about
davening. Lets not get caught
up in the ritual and forget the
purpose and, more importantly,
the
special
and
unique
opportunity to stand in front of,
and connect with, HaKadosh
Baruch Hu.
In Torah-study the person
is devoted to the subject that he
wishes to understand and comes
to understand. In davening the
devotion is directed to what
surpasses understanding. In
learning Torah, the Jew feels
like a pupil with his master;
in davening - like a child with
his father. (HaYom Yom - 26
Tammuz)
The tzaddik R Meshulam
Zusya of Anipoli said that he
could not attain the heights
of such a tshuva; he would
therefore break down tshuva to
its components, for each letter of
the word tshuva is the initial of
a verse. . . When my father told
me this, he concluded: The word
tshuva comprises five (Hebrew)
letters, each letter a path and a
method in the avoda of tshuva.
(He explained each method at
length) . . . Each moves from
a potential state to actuality
through the avoda of davening.
(HaYom Yom 3 Tishrei)
Perhaps the strongest words
about the necessity of investing
in the avoda of davening are
the following: The beginning

of ones decline, Gd save us, is

the lack of avoda in davening.
Everything becomes dry and
cold. Even a mitzva performed
by habit becomes burdensome.
Everything is rushed. One loses
the sense of pleasure in Torahstudy. The atmosphere itself
becomes crass. Needless to
say, one is totally incapable of
influencing others. (HaYom
Yom 23 Iyar)
Joy and loud singing was not
something that was always part
of the regular service of Tfilla.
Before the Geula however, things
are very different. Simcha has
to permeate every part of our
being and our Avodas Hashem.
This is especially true in regards
to our davening. There needs to
be a focus on davening with joy
and with song. This will help
us prepare for the Geula. In the
words of the Rebbe (Shabbos
Parshas Bo, 6 Shvat, and
Shabbos Parshas BShalach,
13 Shvat 5752 - Besuras
HaGeula chapter 63):
There is an additional and
also essential lesson of the Song
in regard to the Divine service of
prayer (also described as hymn,
done in a manner of singing). As

is known, the Alter Rebbe used to

pray out loud and with singing.
Although song is connected with
elevating from below to above,
now there has to be (after all
the elevations are completed)
the song from a position of
attachment and inclusion in
the Supernal. This serves as a
preparation and introduction
to the new song of the time to
come.
This applies particularly
to the prayer for the true
and
complete
Redemption,
specifically after the declaration
of my sainted father-in-law, the
leader of our generation, that all
the appointed times have passed
already, and all aspects of Divine
service have been completed. In
addition to the desire, longing
and yearning for the Redemption
(until now), there must now
also be an essential feeling of
joy, borne out of the realization
that the Redemption is actually
coming at this actual moment.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva
of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a
well sought after speaker and lecturer.
Recordings of his in-depth shiurim
on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be
accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com

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OBITUARY

UNASSUMING
GENIUS AND
DEVOTED
MASHPIA
From his childhood, he merited to spend time in the presence of elder
Chassidim and absorb that special Chassidishe moisture. His diligence
in learning was combined with his brilliance and astonishing proficiency
in all parts of Torah. All of this made up the Chassid known as R Meilich
Zweibel. * The mashpia who impacted generations of talmidim for over
fifty years, including roshei yeshiva and mashpiim, rabbanim and shluchim.
By Avrohom Rainitz

THE CHILD CAME IN A DREAM

Rabbi Elimelech Zweibel was born on 17 Av
5711/1951. An amazing story is told concerning
his birth.
The Zweibel family arrived in Eretz Yisroel at
the beginning of World War II and settled in Tel
Aviv. Shortly after they arrived, on 6 Elul, 5700,
fighter planes flew in from the ocean and dropped
bombs in the area of Bograshov and Trumpeldor
Streets in Tel Aviv. The planes belonged to the

Italian regime who sided with Nazi Germany and

declared war on Britain. This aerial attack over
Tel Aviv was part of the war against Britain who
held a mandate over Eretz Yisroel at the time.
Over a hundred people were killed, including the
Zweibels dear son, Chaim Dovid ah.
The father, R Tzvi Yaakov, took the terrible
news especially hard because Chaim Dovid was
a very special boy. For a long time afterward he
refused to be consoled.

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A few years ago, at the Yarchai Kalla, he was

honored with the saying of a pilpul on a topic in
Chassidus. The rabbanim, mashpiim and roshei yeshiva
who sat there, were open-mouthed. Even the big maskilim
could not fully grasp what he was saying.
After a while, his son came
to him in a dream and with a big
smile on his face said to him, I
am very happy here, but your
nonstop yearning and the fact
that you wont be comforted are
disturbing my rest. I promise you
though, that in another year you
will have another child, like me
and better, and his name will be
known throughout the world.
Indeed, less than a year later,
R Elimelech was born.
Years later, after he became a
Lubavitcher Chassid, his mother
would tell the story of his birth
and conclude, Well, how could
his name be known throughout
the world if not in Lubavitch?
When he was five, his father
began worrying about his
chinuch. He saw the older sons of
his neighbors and acquaintances
remove their beards or going
completely off the derech. He
was very concerned about the
spiritual future of his children
and spoke about this to the
Chassid, R Zalman Shmotkin, a
Chabad Chassid who sold sifrei
Chassidus in Tel Aviv.
R Zalman told him, if you
want your children to remain
frum, send them to be taught
by Chassidim who emigrated
from Russia, at the yeshiva in
Lud. R Yaakov went to Lud
and when he saw the Chassidic
personalities in the yeshiva, like
R Shlomo Chaim Kesselman, he
was convinced. He sent his three
sons, Elimelech, Yechezkel, and
Moshe, to the yeshiva in Lud.

HIS HAND IS LIKE MY HAND

While learning in yeshiva he
did very well, to the tremendous
nachas of his parents and
teachers. In 5722/1962, he went
to learn in Tomchei Tmimim
in 770 in the first Kvutza. His
abilities were recognized there
too and he soon emerged as one
of the most diligent and gifted
talmidim among the students
there. He began reviewing the
Rebbes sichos that were said on
Shabbos and became one of the
chozrim.
When
he
became
of
marriageable age, shadchanim
began
offering
suggestions.
The Rebbe himself was involved
in his shidduch and led it to
its conclusion, as R Zwiebel
recounted:
A girl was suggested and he
even met with her but he had
reasons to say no. The girl did
not give up but wrote to the
Rebbe. The Rebbe responded
that she should wait until after
the summer, explaining that he
would have yechidus toward the
end of the summer (since his
birthday was 17 Av) and then the
Rebbe would ask him about it.
He had the birthday yechidus
a few months after the girl wrote
her letter, and before he went in,
he also wrote about the matter
of shidduchim. The Rebbe
responded with a question,
What about the last suggestion,
with whom you met? Hearing
this, he did not need to be told
explicitly and the couple became
engaged.

R Zweibel later told this story,

emphasizing how amazed he was
that the Rebbe kept track of when
each bachur had yechidus and
this is what won his heart.
While still a bachur, he
learned in Tomchei Tmimim in
Newark and after he married,
in the winter of 5725, he began
to work as a mashpia in that
yeshiva which later moved to
Morristown. He took the job
after being instructed by the
Rebbe, that since he learned
in the yeshiva as a bachur, he
should remain there and not
go to kollel as other newlyweds
did. When he asked the Rebbe
in yechidus how to arrange his
daily schedule, the Rebbe told
him to speak to the rosh yeshiva,
Rabbi
Mordechai
Mentlick,
who told him, A young man
needs to learn Gemara in depth
and halacha too. This was the
learning schedule he arranged for
himself. Even though he served
as a mashpia for Chassidus, he
devoted many hours a day to
learning Nigleh in depth.
Once he accepted the role
of mashpia in the yeshiva, he
devoted himself to the talmidim
and put much energy into them
by learning with them and
guiding them. His personal
impact on the bachurim and
his tremendous knowledge of
Chassidus made him an integral
part of the yeshiva and he served
in this position for over fifty
years.
When one of the talmidim
in the yeshiva in Lud planned
on traveling to New York, his
mashpia, R Shlomo Chaim
Kesselman, was worried. From
whom would he get Chassidus
and hashpaa? The bachur said he
planned on going to R Elimelech
Zweibel. Hearing this, R Shlomo
Chaim was reassured and he
said, His hand is like my hand.

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Upon
hearing
that
R
Elimelech Zweibel had been
taken as the mashpia in the
yeshiva, Rashag, the Rebbes
brother-in-law, told the menahel,
R Moshe Herson, that he did
well.

THE REBBE SPOKE ABOUT

HIMSELF IN YECHIDUS
In his role at the yeshiva, he
was the driving force behind
the
publication
a n d
dissemination
of
the
pamphlets
of
Kovetz
Haaros HaTmimim VAnash of
Morristown. These anthologies
were very dear to the Rebbe. R
Zweibel knew how important it
was to encourage the talmidim to
write their chiddushei Torah and
publish them in these pamphlets,
and he strongly encouraged them
in this undertaking.
But like every good thing,
there was opposition to this too.
A short while after the publication
of the first kovetz, a rumor began
to circulate that the Rebbe wasnt
pleased with the new endeavor.
The lack of a response from
the Rebbe to the anthologies
submitted to him seemed to
support this. R Elimelech, as
a Chassid and mekushar, did
not know what to do. Should
he continue or discontinue
publishing these anthologies?
When he had yechidus for his
birthday in 5732, he wrote to the
Rebbe about this rumor and asked
whether it was true. The Rebbe
said, Regarding rumors, what I
said was that those publishing the
Haaros in Montreal, New York,
and Morristown, should be in
contact with each other so they
dont publish the same things.
When they publish in a proper
manner, this will lead to the
talmidim getting involved in the
discussions. But as to the thing
itself, there is no room for doubt

R Elimelech with talmidim in the yeshiva

at all. Furthermore, and here

the Rebbe revealed something
that had occurred with him
personally, a certain rabbi
asked me a question and I took a
kovetz, put it in an envelope, and
wrote to this rabbi - here, your
question was printed already in
this issue and here is the answer.
R Elimelech left the yechidus
feeling relieved. After that, the
publication really took off and
became one of the most respected
of the kovtzim of chiddushei
Torah of Anash and the Tmimim
that were published over many
decades.
R Elimelech was very devoted
to guiding the bachurim and
he impacted them with his
knowledge
and
Chassidishe
middos. At one farbrengen, the
talmidim asked him whether
they could learn Chassidus in the
middle of the Nigleh session. R
Elimelech said: To learn Nigleh
in the middle of Chassidus is
certainly not possible, but if
there is an intense desire to
learn Chassidus in the middle
of Nigleh, if it is an instance
of an emergency that occurs

occasionally, then it is possible...

He instilled in the talmidim
the foundations of Chassidus
and said that every bachur,
before going to sleep, should
read Likkutei Dibburim and Toras
Sholom, saying, These are the
foundations.

TREMENDOUS BRILLIANCE
Talmidim note in amazement
R
Meilichs
encyclopedic
knowledge, not only in a certain
part of Torah, and not only in a
certain specialized area in each
part, but in all parts and in all
areas. His knowledge in Nigleh
and Nistar, his genius and
familiarity in all parts of Torah,
Nigleh and Chassidus, were well
known. In Nigleh he was known
for his knowledge in Shas, not
only the tractates learned in
yeshiva, but every single tractate,
the deep analytic discussions
as well as an encyclopedic
knowledge and the bottom line
halacha.
He was also expert in halacha
and not just in the four sections
of Shulchan Aruch of the
Mechaber and the Rema, but the
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Obituary
other poskim and acharonim.
And of course, in Chassidus, the
area that he was responsible for
in his position. Every footnote
in
Likkutei
Sichos,
every
obscure discourse of the Mitteler
Rebbe, every discourse of the
Tzemach Tzedek, he knew.
And in Kabbala, the writings of
the Ramak, the Zohar and the
writings of the Arizal, he knew
them all well.
The same held true in
every area of Torah, but was
not limited to that. He knew
Chassidic niggunim, stories of
the gdolei Yisroel and the gdolei
hachassidim, and Jewish history.
He was possessed of an amazing
and highly unusual encyclopedic
knowledge.
Someone who knew him
said that R Meilich fulfilled the
Rebbes will when he said not
to be satisfied with one field
in learning, but that a Chassid
should have a broad knowledge
and deep understanding in
Nigleh, Chassidus and Shulchan
Aruch. This hardly exists in our
generation. There are experts
in Chassidus but they dont
have knowledge of Nigleh; there
are those who know Nigleh but
they dont have knowledge of
Chassidus or a broad knowledge
of Shulchan Aruch. But with him
it was Nigleh, Chassidus, poskim,
and this was aside from the
spiritual delight in attending his
farbrengens and hearing spiritual
ideas from him.
When a page of Ohr HaTorah
was ripped from the seifer and
the bachurim wanted to test him,
they took the torn page to him
and asked him where it belonged.
He glanced at it and said exactly
which volume it came from.
Those who were involved in
publishing the Rebbes teachings
knew that if they were looking
for an obscure source, R Meilich

was the one to ask.

Those who knew him said
that his learning was in the style
of ohr yashar (direct light as
opposed to reflected light). He
did not need to explore different
avenues of reasoning, because
from the start of his learning
everything was clear. A student
could go over to him with a
learned question on a difficult
Rabbi Akiva Eiger and he would
resolve it instantly. The same was
true when they approached him
with questions in Tanya or points
not understood in a maamer.
He would go over the text and
explain it simply and directly.
R
Shneur
Zalman
Wilschansky, a friend of his and
the rosh yeshiva in Morristown,
said, My friend, Rabbi Zweibel,
was an outstanding personality. A
genius in Chassidus and Nigleh,
incredibly
knowledgeable,
a
straight thinker but also someone
with a knowledge of lomdus.
His tremendous knowledge was
not just due to his blessed talents
but to his great diligence that was
boundless. He simply learned all
the time. Whenever I saw him, he
was learning assiduously.
I remember that a few years
ago, at the Yarchai Kalla, he
was honored with the saying of
a pilpul on a topic in Chassidus.
The rabbanim, mashpiim and
roshei yeshiva who sat there,
were open-mouthed. Even the
big maskilim could not fully
grasp what he was saying.
Despite
his
tremendous
genius in all parts of Torah,
he was also a genius in his
simplicity and his modest ways.
One of his close friends said,
Aside from his knowledge of
Shas, Chassidus, and halacha, it
was amazing to see how he did
not stand out and how he had
no desire to make an impression.
There are big roshei yeshivos

who may actually say deep ideas

in Nigleh, or big maskilim who
offer up a keen analysis of an idea
in Chassidus, or mashpiim who
farbreng nicely, but sometimes
you sense that they are well aware
of their accomplishment. But by
R Zweibel you did not have this
feeling. The Chassidic beauty and
grace that he engendered were
pure and real.
His friend, R Shneur Zalman
Wilschansky, adds, Despite
his genius, he was utterly
battul. His greatness was with
such simplicity. It was all done
without standing out. He had the
ability to speak to anyone as an
equal. He never gave anyone the
feeling that he was above them.
He could sit with someone with
no knowledge of Chassidus,
someone coming to Chassidus
for the first time, and learn with
him in a warm and pleasant
manner, whether a maamer of
deep haskala or a lighter maamer
of avoda.
I remember that one time,
at a farbrengen in honor of the
Rebbe Rashabs birthday, he
farbrenged with the bachurim
and tried to inspire them to make
good commitments in learning.
When he saw them hesitate, he
announced, I commit to learning
from today until 2 Nissan all of
Hemshech 5666 and Hemshech
5772, and as is known, these are
deep and very long hemshechim.
Afterward, when he went
home escorted by one of the
bachurim, he sort of apologized
and said, What could I do I
saw that the bachurim had to be
inspired.

CHASSID AND MEKUSHAR

His hiskashrus and bittul to
the Rebbe was legendary. Every
word and inyan that the Rebbe
uttered was holy of holies to
him. But even then, he did it all

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without standing out.

Someone once tried to find
out from him whether he had
received a letter of instruction
from the Rebbe regarding his
son who was born with a certain
limitation. R Elimelech said,
No, I never wrote about this
to the Rebbe because I did not
want to cause him pain with
information like this.
The following incredible story
reveals another dimension of his
hiskashrus:
A few years ago, he dreamed
that the Rebbe came to him and
said he should give a certain
sum to tzdaka and say a lot of
Thillim. When he woke up, he
did not think anything of it but
that day something amazing
happened. His father-in-law
came to the house and said,
Meilich, I never asked you
for money, but I urgently need
money for an orphan bride, and
he specified the exact amount
that the Rebbe told him in the
dream!
R Meilich was shaken by this
and he gave him the money. He
knew that he also needed to carry
out the Rebbes second request,
and from then on he recited a lot
of Thillim.
At a yechidus that he had
with the Rebbe, he asked how
one could acquire enjoyment in
learning Chassidus. The Rebbe
told him, you start with kabbalas
ol and then you get the geshmak.
He told about the following
special experience. It was at the
farbrengen on Purim 5726 when
the Rebbe announced, Whoever
stretches out his hand one
should give to him, and whoever
wants mashke from the Rebbe, it
will be given to him. There was
chaos in 770 because everyone
wanted an abundance of blessing
from the Rebbes holy hands.
There was tremendous pushing

R Elimelech (left) and R Zalman Wilschansky farbrenging with talmidim

so that it was difficult to reach

the Rebbe.
R Meilich himself struggled
and pushed, but to no avail. He
did not reach the Rebbe.
After the farbrengen, the
Rebbe left the zal and went up to
his room. When he left his room
on his way home, R Sholom
Dovber
Wolpo
approached
and gave the Rebbe a bottle of
mashke, and the Rebbe agreed
to continue giving mashke. All
those who did not receive earlier,
pushed to get some now, but
here too, there was tremendous
pushing.
I was pushed and pushed
until I found myself standing face
to face with the Rebbe. I stretched
out my hand with my cup to
get mashke but because of the
tremendous pushing, my hand
was moving from side to side and
I was afraid the mashke that the
Rebbe was pouring wouldnt go
into the cup. Then I noticed that
the Rebbe was moving his hand
from side to side, together with
me, because he wanted me to
receive everything he poured.
Over the years, I attended
many farbrengens and had many

private audiences. But until then

I did not feel such a sense of
closeness from the Rebbe. I felt
that the Rebbe was together with
me.

BLESSED DESCENDANTS
R Zweibel was organized by
nature. Part of his success with
time was thanks to the fact that
he went to sleep on time and
woke up early in the morning.
Whenever he farbrenged with
bachurim late at night, he would
warn them, Even if we farbreng
late, we cannot miss the time for
reciting the Shma.
He was very practical in his
life and personal conduct. Many
asked his advice about shalom
bayis and even business and he
always responded wisely.
***
R Zweibel passed away
suddenly on Sunday afternoon,
19 Cheshvan. He impacted
generations of talmidim for
over fifty years, including roshei
yeshiva and mashpiim, rabbanim
and shluchim. He is survived by
his wife, children and siblings.

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HALACHA 2 GO

THE MARRIAGE
ITINERARY
Selected Halachos from the
One Minute Halacha project
By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita,
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

ELEMENTS OF A
ZIMUN
When at least three people eat
a bread meal together, they are
obligated in the mitzvah of making
a zimun (invitation; i.e., a prayer
assemblage of three or more). To
be eligible to form a zimun it does
not suffice for the participants to
happen be together at the table at
some point during the meal; they
must eat with a kvius (established
routine) by either beginning or
ending the meal together.
The Beginning and the End
Beginning the meal together
entails all members eating at least
some of the first kzayis (like an
olive, i.e., the minimum amount
required for bentchingreciting
the after-blessing) togetherif
one or two participants sit down
after the first one completed
his kzayis, it is not considered
beginning
together.*
(Some
poskim are stricter and require the
three to actually begin eating in
unison.)
Alternatively, they can end the
meal together, meaning that even
if only two people are together,

and the third one joins them

later, he can still participate in the
zimun by eating at least a kzayis
before they begin to bentch. Even
if the two are not eating anymore,
the third forms a zimun as long
that they can still theoretically
continue the mealthey are not
too full (even with just room for
dessert); they have not announced
a desire to bentch; they have not
decided to conclude their meal
(see Halacha #181 on hesech
hadaas); and they have yet to
wash mayim acharonim (the hand
washing ritual before bentching).
Nonetheless, even when they are
not required to make a zimun
since the third participant arrived
after theyve technically (and
halachically) ended their meal, its
a mitzvah to make a new bracha
and eat another kzayis of bread to
create a zimun, if possible.
If two participants are ready
to end the meal and make a
zimun while the third person is
still eating, he is obligated to stop
eating and join the zimun. In case
the third person is not willing to
participate in joining the zimun,
the other two should recite it, and

the third person may be counted

in the zimun as long as he is in
the room and can hear them
bentching.
All in it Together
Another condition for a zimun
is eating at the same table. If the
three did not sit at the same table,
but sat within view of each other,
and began the meal with the
intent of joining in the bentching,
it is considered as one table, and
suffices for a zimun. In this case
of multiple table seating, there is
no obligation to make a zimun,
but it is still considered a mitzvah.
Some, however, interpret the
mitzvah as the need to create
the right conditions for a proper
zimun: making a kvius by eating
a kzayis together at one table to
meet all the requirements.
Once the requirements for a
zimun are met, the participants are
obligated to participate, and may
not begin bentching prior to the
recital of the zimun. This applies to
anyone eating together, even those
not in the core group of three and
to women who are participating
in the meal, as well. If there are

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more than six men, they can create

more than one zimun. However,
if they are more than ten, but less
than twenty, they may not split
into separate groups for zimun, so
that each participant remains part
of the minyan (quorum of at least
ten) for bentching.

DELAYING A TRIP
TO THE BATHROOM
Halacha states that we may
not delay using the facilities. This
halacha is hinted to in the lav
(Torah prohibition) of bal tshaktzu
(do not act repulsively)the
original lav refers to ingesting
insects, while the prohibition
of refraining from going to the
bathroom when needed is only
an issur dRabbanan (Rabbinic
prohibition), according to most
opinions.
Bal tshaktzu only applies in a
case where a person has an urge to
go and cannot distract themselves
from the need to go, and all that
is preventing leakage is good
muscle control. According to
many poskim, if a person can put
off the urge to use the bathroom
for a period of 72 minutes, it is
not considered a violation of bal
tshaktzu. Some poskim maintain
that the issur of bal tshaktzu does
not apply to postponing urination,
and refers only to postponing
bowel movements, but there is
the added warning of Chazal that
such effort can pose a danger and
affect fertility, chas vshalom.
Chazal did not consider it bal
teshaktzu if the delay was due
to seeking out a proper facility,
if in the midst of delivering a
speech in public, or if being
called up to the Torah reading.
Kavod habrios (human dignity)
trumps going promptly in the
above cases. In addition, it does
not pertain to having the urge to
go during davening, so that one
should not interrupt davening

unnecessarily, as long as proper

planning was executed prior to
beginning davening. Under any
circumstance where it would not
be considered proper etiquette to
leave for a bathroom break (such
as in middle of a conversation or
rushing out of bed), a person may
delay going. However, being
too busy completing a task for a
length of time and postponing a
bathroom trip is not permitted.
These rules do not address
stress and compulsive disorders
that play with a persons mind to
project a necessity; in such cases
professional guidance must be
sought. Regarding the concern
about possibly having to urinate
at random times, halacha provides
guidelines for the average person
(with good bladder control):
there is no need to worry for up
to three hours after urinating. As
mentioned earlier, if the urge to
go disappears when distracted,
this is an indication that the
mind is playing tricks and this
isnt considered a need to use the
facilities.

NOCTURNAL
NUPTIALS
May a marriage ceremony
take place at night? Early halachic
authorities such as Rabbeinu
Yeshaya (13th century) and
Mahari Minz (15th century)
question whether kiddushin (the
betrothal ceremony) may be
performed at night. Their position
is based on the fact that the
Gemara draws a parallel between a
get (bill of divorce) and kiddushin.
They posit that since a get should
not be given at night (according to
some opinions), neither should a
kiddushin be performed at night.
The Knesses Hagedolah (Rabbi
Chaim Beneviste, 17th century)
relates that when he assumed a
rabbinical position in Tira, Turkey,
and found that they performed

marriages at night, he was

mevatel (stopped) the practice
immediately.
However, later poskim state
that a night-time chuppa is not
a halachic issue. They quote the
Rambam and the Smag (12th
and 13th century respectively) as
discussing kiddushin performed
at night. (Although there is also a
basis in the Gemara for kiddushin
to be performed at night, some
poskim posit that at least some of
these sources use night in only
illustrative terms to mean a time
or place where it is hard to see,
such as late in the day or in a dark
location).
These later poskim argue that
the point of concern for those
authorities who opposed kiddushin
at night must have been the shtar
(contract with which kiddushin
was performed), which was
reminiscent of a get. The prevalent
manner of betrothal these days is
with kesef (moneyi.e., a ring),
so similarities no longer exist.
Another reason to allow
kiddushin
at
nightdespite
sharing a parallel with a get, say
some poskimis that a get is
restricted at night due to it being
similar to din Torah which must
be performed during daytime
hours. However, the halacha is
that if both parties are amenable
to a night-time din Torah, it is
permittedand
that
should
certainly be the case when it
comes to a chuppa.
The candles used at a chuppa
negate some of the night-time
issuescreating an atmosphere
similar to daytime. In fact, a
strong argument can be made that
a night-time chuppa is actually
preferable: there are segulos (good
omens) associated with a moonlit
setting for a chuppaalluding to
the bracha of plentiful progeny
represented by the vast span of
twinkling stars in the moonlit sky.

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CHABAD HISTORY

THE RELIEF
EFFORTS
The Frierdiker Rebbes Memorandum to the JDC, detailing the expenses
of the rescue operation * The establishment of Beth Rivkah in France * The
Rashag meets the JDC and convinces them to create jobs for 200 refugee
families in the knitting business * Fourth Installment

n the last installment we

began presenting the efforts
of the Frierdiker Rebbe in
assisting the thousands of
Chabad Chassidim who escaped
Russia with Polish passports, and
were stranded in European DP
Camps. The Frierdiker Rebbe,
with the help of his son-in-law
the Rashag, began to work on

resettling them in a new country,

and providing for them with means
to support themselves and their
families.
This fourth installment presents
the detailed involvement of the
Frierdiker Rebbe in all the aspects
of the work helping the refugees
from Russia, and some of the

work of Rabbi Binyomin Eliyahu

Gorodetsky, who was appointed
by the Frierdiker Rebbe as
his personal representative to
coordinate the refugee work with
the JDC.
These fascinating documents
are part of the JDC Archives
(which were digitized and
uploaded online, thanks to

32 9 Kislev 5777
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a grant from Dr. Georgette

Bennett and Dr. Leonard
Polonsky CBE).

TOTAL COST: $229,050

PAID & $51,300 NEEDED
On the February 14 1947 (24
Shvat 5707) the Frierdiker Rebbe
sent a memo to the JDC offices
detailing the work of Chabad
with the Russian refugees, and
the expenses incurred for this
work. This letter was signed on
the letterhead of Agudas Chasidei
Chabad of the United States and
Canada:
During the year 1946 the
Agudas Chasidei Chabad of
the United States and Canada
and the United Lubavitcher
Yeshivoth of the United States
and Canada strove desperately
to help the plight of the
Displaced Persons in Europe.
Notably
among
its
achievements was the successful
accomplishment of aiding about
1,350 persons to emigrate
from the U. S. S. R. to Poland
(see Exhibit A). This involved
a total expenditure of about
$229,050.00
These funds were obtained
through loans from various
sources at the hardest
sacrifices. We are being pressed
for repayment of the loans and
the outlook is extremely dark
for us.
The 1,350 persons are now in
Austria, Germany and France.
Still another problem faces us
extremely critical and which
is taxing us limitlessly. There
are about 450 persons presently
living in and around Lemberg,
from which points they are
awaiting help and assistance to
go to Poland, The situation is
one of desperate emergency and
each day that passes adds to the
unbearable burden these persons
have been compelled to carry.

The estimated cost of-this part

of the program will come to
about $51,300.00 (see Exhibit
B). We are unable to borrow
further funds and since this
phase calls for immediate help,
we know not where to turn to.
The Agudas Chasidei Chabad
of the United States and Canada
and the United Lubavitcher
Yeshivoth of the United States
and Canada have not conducted
any fund-raising campaigns or
appeals for this purpose. We are
faced with one of the gravest
and most difficult problems we
have ever been called upon to
solve.
The circumstances call for
immediate help. We respectfully
ask you to aid us in this urgent
matter.
Respectfully submitted this
14th day of February, 1947
Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn
President
Attached to this memo were two
documents, one listing the total
money spent ($229,050) on the
first 800 refugees, and the second
document detailing the money
needed for the next 450 refugees.

JDC SENDS $25,000

A month later, the JDC sent a
check of $25,000 to the Frierdiker
Rebbe, for his relief work. This
is documented in a letter dated
March 19 1947 [27 Adar 5707]
from the JDC:
Dear Rabbi Schneersohn:
In
accordance
with
instructions which we received
from our Paris offices, we are
enclosing our check #15085 in
the amount of $25,000.00.
Please be good enough to sign
the enclosed receipt and return
same to us for our files.
A few days later, on March
24 1947 [3 Nissan 5707] the
Frierdiker Rebbe replied with a

letter acknowledging the payment

(printed in Igros Kodesh Vol. 9
page 227):
Gentlemen:
This will acknowledge with
thanks receipt of your letter of
March 19th, enclosing check
for $25,000.00.
Signed receipt is enclosed
herewith.
Very truly yours,
Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn

ESTABLISHING BETH
RIVKAH IN FRANCE
An internal JDC memo dated
February 17 1947 [27 Shvat
5707], sent from Mr. James
Rice (JDC Paris) to Mrs. Laura
Margolis (JDC New York),
discusses the establishment of the
Beth Rivkah school in France and
the request for assistance:
Today I spoke with Rabbi
Spitz and two associates of the
Lubavitcher Rabbonim as they
wish to request a subvention
for a school project which they
have.
As this is a cultural activity I
took preliminary information
and explained to Rabbi Spitz
that further negotiations might
be handled by another JDC
person.
They have obtained a
room in the Fleischman
synagogue, not far from Rue
des Rosiers, where 22 girls
between the ages of 7 to 15
are being given instruction in
Hebrew, English and French,
School hours are from 10 to
12 and 1 to 3, No attempt
is made to serve meals as
they claim facilities are very
inadequate. They have 3
teachers and they say their
budget would run between
25,000 to 30,000 francs a
month. They recognize that a
curriculum of languages only

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Chabad History
is not complete but they have
hesitated to expand because of
their lack of funds. School has
been functioning since about
January 28th. Up to now they
have managed by promising
the teachers that they would
obtain the money to pay their
salary, hoping that the Joint
would come through. If the
school were publicized in the
Jewish papers there would be
many more pupils, but they
have not taken this step as
without money they cannot
do more than at present.
They say that some of the
children are from families
who will probably emigrate
in the next few weeks, and
others from families who
are staying in Paris. When I
raised the question as to why
children of families staying in
Paris did not make use of the
public schools, they pointed
out the obvious fact that
without knowledge of French
the children could not benefit
from public schools. (This
is probably true for the older
children, although one would
think that for the younger
ones the ability to speak
French would come quickly).
They also emphasize that
they are providing the Jewish
side of the school by teaching
Hebrew.
At my request they are
preparing two projects for
our consideration; one will
indicate expenses involved
in the present set-up and the
other a prospective budget
which would be required if
they expand their facilities.
They feel that even for
their present group the room
provided at the Fleischman
synagogue is not adequate
and they want to include
in the budget expense for a
bigger room.

As soon as the budgetary

material is prepared they will
bring it to the office, at which
time I told them it would be
handled by whatever JDC
person is assigned to consider
their request.

to you, knowing that I would be

remiss in my obligations if I did
not formally thank you. I wish
you and the entire organization
success in all its endeavors and
trust that your accomplishments
will grow from higher to higher.

RABBI GORODETSKY
THANKS THE JDC

CREATING KNITTING JOBS

FOR 200 FAMILIES

In the month of Adar 5707,

the Frierdiker Rebbe asked Rabbi
Gorodetsky to visit the various DP
camps and give a detailed report
of what he encounters, and what
needs to be taken care of. During
the following weeks, Rabbi
Gorodetsky visited the various
countries and prepared a lengthy
report to submit to the Frierdiker
Rebbe. In the following letter,
dated April 3 1947 (13 Nissan
5707) and addressed to the heads
of the JDC, Rabbi Gorodetsky
reports on his visit to the DP
camps and thanks the JDC for
their assistance:
Dear Friends:
May this serve as an expression
of thanks for the unstinted aid
you are offering and extending
to our stricken brethren in the
DP Camps. Thanks to your
wonderful cooperation I was
able to see at first hand the fine
work you are doing.
In the camps I visited I found
that the promises you assured
me were being fruitfully
carried out. The help you are
giving the orthodox Jews,
and the Lubavitcher people in
particular, is noteworthy.
In the report I am submitting
to the Lubavitcher Rabbi, I am
stressing your fine cooperation
as well as the outstanding
accomplishments of the AJDC
in Germany and Austria. I
believe that you are doing
equally as well in the other
countries.
I write this note of gratitude

Helping the Chassidim leave

Russia wasnt enough, and both
the Rashag and Rabbi Gorodetsky
tried creating different jobs
for these refugees, so they can
support themselves. In this
installment we present one of the
ideas that were recommended,
which is a knitting factory. This
idea was recommended first
by Rashag, who presented it
during a meeting with the heads
of the JDC and again in a letter,
and was followed up by Rabbi
Gorodestsky in the following
months.
In a letter dated April 23 1947
[3 Iyar 5707] and addressed
to Dr. Joseph Schwartz (JDC
Paris), the Rashag reiterates his
knitting idea (which he presented
at a meeting), and explains the
rationale behind it:
With reference to our request
for aid to the Displaced Persons
in Europe, we understand full
well that it will not be possible
to bring all the persons to
America; many of them will
have to make their homes in
various parts of Europe.
In order for each family to
be self-supported it will be
necessary for the head of the
family to occupy himself with
a trade or craft. Since these
people have had experience in
the knitted goods production
(they operated plants in Russia
before the war) it is our wish
and request that about 200
Continued on page 21

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TZIVOS HASHEM

A SIGN
FROM
HEAVEN
By Nechama Bar

Yaniv, eight years old, held

a book and ran over to where
the books were displayed. Id
better hurry so I can choose
a good book. Maybe Ill get
volume two of this book that I
read, he thought.
Shaharbani,
Yaakov
Chabad
the
of
r
directo
Eliyahu
Yad
the
in
House
Aviv,
Tel
of
orhood
neighb
Hello
y.
warml
Yaniv
d
greete
Yaniv, its good you came to
exchange a book at our mobile
library.
he
what
found
Yaniv
was looking for and said
goodbye to Yaakov. Many
children began coming over
and choosing books of Jewish
content.
This is what happened
every week. Yaakov would
open a folding table in a
central place, put out books,
and many children who were
not religious came to exchange
books. Thanks to the mobile
library, the children read
worthwhile books of Jewish

content.
In the meantime, Zohar,
his wife, was also busy with
mivtzaim. She had a bag of
Shabbos candles and Geula
woman
Every
brochures.

and girl she met was given a

package which contained two
candles and a brochure. The
bag also contained the Chabad
House business card with the
address and phone number so
people could contact them and
find out about shiurim and
events.
Every week Zohar gives out
about 150 of these packages.
No, she doesnt see that many
women, maybe fifty women
receive it directly from her. As
for the rest of the packages,
she doesnt take them home.
She goes from building to
building and puts a package in
every mailbox. What if there is
no mailbox at the entrance to
the building? Zohar isnt lazy.
She goes up the stairs and puts
a package at every door.
The Chabad House has
many expenses and with much
effort they raise the money
for their activities. Happily
for them, the Shabbos candles
and brochures are covered.
An uncle of Yaakovs, who
was amazed by his work,

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TZIVOS HASHEM

to for Shabbos, as she does

decided to donate candles crown. The king was willing
chance every week. Whenever she
and brochures for six months. forgo the jewel on the
Ima,
that it would save his son. They brought it up, I said,
Thats a lot of money!
not
am
I
ted.
interes
not
Im
the stone and tried
One week, while Zohar ground
speak
doesnt
it
and
s
religiou
to pour it into the princes
stood at the door of one of the
been
mouth. A lot of it spilled onto to me. My mother has
homes, planning on leaving a
It is
this.
about
py
unhap
very
the floor but one drop entered
package, the door opened. It
I
that
her
to
ant
import
very
his mouth and he was cured.
was a big, brawny fellow who
.
mitzva
this
do
The Alter Rebbe told
looked mean. Aha, its you!
This week, I met an old
ly
You give out candles every this parable after a heaven
of friend, traditional like me, and
week? You should be ashamed! accusation about pages
the she asked me, Sivan, do you
Thats what you do throw Chassidus blowing on
Rebbe light Shabbos candles?
Alter
The
Shabbos candles and words of streets.
much
true,
that
I told her I didnt. To my
Torah on the floor? Take these explained
some
but
,
spilled
was
surprise, she began trying to
bags right now and get out of Chassidus
saved
and
Jews
d
persuade me. Why dont you
here! And in the future, he drops reache
light? Its so beautiful and adds
said with his finger shaking their souls.
the light and atmosphere to the
understood
Zohar
a warning, I dont want to
to home.
needed
She
see candles and papers here, message.
What do they all want
continue what she had been
understand?
easy,
wasnt
it
me already, I snapped
gh
from
Althou
doing.
gaze
Zohar lowered her
ia back. Yesterday my mother
and did not respond. The man she followed what her mashp
called and begged me to light
slammed the door and she said.
and today you are trying to
since
passed
stairs.
A few weeks
went slowly down the
ter. convince me. Whats going on
Maybe hes right. I suppose that unpleasant encoun
in the here? Let me be!
I should stop giving these out in One day, the phone
Yaakov
and
rang
When I returned to my
buildings. Ill just give them to Chabad House
a
was
line
the
apartment, this gave me no
answered it. On
women I meet on the street.
.
rest. I thought that maybe
woman
When she saw her husband young
and
Hello, my name is Sivan. there was something to it
she told him what happened
g
lightin
to
it
comm
You dont know me but I I should
and what she decided.
and
bed
my
on
sat
I
s.
thank you. You are just candle
No way should you stop! must
g! You were sent to me stared at the ceiling. I found
amazin
The Rebbe says to do more,
myself talking to G-d. Gfrom heaven!
not less. Aside from that, its
if You really exist and You
Yaakov didnt know what d,
a pity, as my uncle is paying
care that I, Sivan from Tel
the costs, so we should make she was talking about.
Aviv, light Shabbos candles,
deeply.
breathed
Sivan
full use of it.
give me a sign. If I have a sign
was
Zohar wasnt convinced and He could hear that she
from You, Ill commit to light
she decided to discuss it with holding back tears.
Shabbos candles every week.
I will tell you and you
her mashpia.
A short while later I
a
Her mashpia listened and will understand. I am from
to go downstairs to buy
had
s
then said, I will tell you a traditional home. My parent
ing. I opened the door
someth
but I,
story that Im sure you know. do not live in Tel Aviv
and stood there, frozen. I
, rent
There was once a king who like many of my friends
fainted. On the doorstep
is nearly
Here
had an only son. One day, the an apartment here.
were Shabbos candles! Thank
work.
prince became sick and the where I go to school and
you! You were sent to me from
For quite a while now, heaven.
only way they could cure him
was by grinding up the most my mother has been trying to
precious jewel in the kings convince me to light candles

B"H. 9 Kislev 5777

9 December 2016 Number 1047
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 2
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2016-12-06 2:08:56 PM