Friday, November 26, 2010

Yud Tes Kislev and the Berditchever

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on the Chumash Volume on Bereishis:
 

Just before the Alter Chabad Rebbe, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, was taken away on trumped-up charges of subversive activities against the government, his brother-in-law, Rav Yisrael Kosik, came to him and asked for instructions.
 
"Go immediately," said the Rebbe, "and I mean immediately, to Petersburg. Go just as you are now, without delay. Someone else should also go to Berditchev to inform Rav Levi Yitzchak so that he may pray for me."
 
Losing no time, Rav Yisrael left for Petersburg without even changing clothes. Nor did he return to his hometown in Babinovitch to obtain a passport, but instead borrowed one belonging to a friend. Meanwhile, someone else left for Berditchev, as the Rebbe had ordered, but in all the excitement and haste, the man forgot to note the name of the Alter Rebbe's mother, which is needed for the kvittel, the petition, which is called a pidyon nefesh (literally, "redemption of the soul").
 
In Berditchev the emissary informed Rav Levi Yitzchak of what had happened. The Berditchever fell to the floor in agony and cried bitterly over his mechutan's terrible predicament. Finally he composed himself enough to interrogate the emissary on the Alter Rebbe's state of mind when he was taken.
 
"Was he upset?"
 
Receiving an affirmative answer, Rav Levi Yitzchak inquired further.
 
"Was he deeply upset or just a little upset?"
 
"It appeared that he was only a little upset," replied the emissary. "I noticed that he forgot to take along his house slippers, but he did not forget to take his tallis and tefillin."
 
Rav Levi Yitzchak was very impressed by this reply and commended the man's power of observation.
 
"Now tell me, what is the name of the Alter Rebbe's mother?"
 
The emissary, of course, did not know what to answer since in his haste to arrive in Berditchev he forgot to ask for the name. By the time he remembered to ask, he was already far along his way and was afraid to return because the Alter Rebbe had emphasized the importance of speed.
 
There was a Chumash on the table. The Berditchever opened it, and the first verse he saw was in parashas Miketz: "Yaakov saw that there were provisions [shever] in Egypt" (Bereishis 42:1). "The word shever," said the Berditchever, "is an acrostic for Shneur ben Rivka."
 
Someone asked the Berditchever why it couldn't be Rachel, which also begins with a reish. He answered that the word shever contains two letters from the name Rivka, a reish and a beis. And so it was. Rav Shneur Zalman himself sometimes signed his name "Shneur ben Rivka."70
 
The Lubavitcher Rebbe recorded another version of the story:
 
Before the Alter Chabad Rebbe, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, was incarcerated on false charges, he sent a pidyon nefesh, a letter of petition, to Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev through Rav Yaakov Smilianer. The letter said, "To awaken heavenly mercy and attempt that all my thoughts will be actualized from their potential state with no spiritual injury or bodily harm." He told Rav Yaakov that he should read over this pidyon nefesh so that "the letters will be engraved in your memory."
 
When Rav Yaakov reached Berditchev, he realized that he had lost the petition. But he was able to recite the contents of the lost letter from memory, since they were "engraved in his mind." However, when Rav Levi Yitzchak asked Rav Yaakov for the name of Rav Shneur Zalman's mother, Rav Yaakov could not tell him because he did not know it. The Berditchever lit up his lilke (a long pipe that many Rebbes once smoked) and said, "With this pipe I could burn up all of Petersburg!"
 
"Berditchever Rav!" responded Rav Yaakov. "Our Rebbe is a Russian Rebbe. He represents the attributes of Chabad — [the acronym of] chochmah, binah, and da'as, wisdom, insight, and knowledge." (Meaning that he did not need to resort to miracles.)
 
Rav Levi Yitzchak gave him a long look and said in jest, "See what a Russian chassid is like? For him even a Rebbe without a mother does fine!"
 
Rav Levi Yitzchak then left for the mikveh, with Rav Yaakov following behind. After Rav Levi Yitzchak immersed, he came out, washed his hands, and said, "Now I know that there are provisions [shever] in Egypt!" (based on Bereishis 42:1). Yes, there is hope because there is shever in Egypt," indicating that the Alter Rebbe would be released (since shever is an acronym of Shneur ben Rivka).
 
Upon his release from prison, the Alter Chabad Rebbe wrote three letters, informing of his release — one to Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, one to Rav Baruch of Mezhibuz, and one to all his chassidim. This is the letter he wrote to Rav Levi Yitzchak:
 
I have received a blessing and shall return one to my honored and beloved Rebbe and genius, the pious and ascetic master Rav Levi Yitzchak, and to all those who take shelter in his shade, the shadow of wisdom. May they all have life forever, especially his precious children, may they live.
 
I was drawn close to G-d, who uplifted me to inform the humble and the upright of heart of the joyous tidings. "Rejoice in G-d, you righteous" (Tehillim 97:12), and praise the Name of your G-d who performed a great miracle! I shall recount a tale that defies description — how G-d acted wondrously and magnificently on earth, made wondrous and great His great and holy Name, which publicly became exalted and sanctified, especially in the eyes of all the officers and people in the king's provinces. They, too, consider this matter so exceptionally wondrous that they said, " 'This must be from G-d, for it is wondrous in our eyes' (based on Tehillim 118:23). It is a sign that G-d is surely with us, and there is none other besides Him."
 
Who am I that G-d took me so far, that through so lowly a person as myself the Name of Heaven was exalted and sanctified? It must be because their principal battle was in essence a war against the teachings of the Ba'al Shem Tov, his disciples and their disciples. And it was G-d's will to favor us in the merit of the Holy Land and its inhabitants — this stood by us and will stand by us in every time of need, to bring us freedom and salvation, to widen that which is narrow and deliver us from agony and raise our horn for the glory of G-d, who forever sits on High and rejoices in His Creation, if it pleases Him.
 
It ought to be mentioned that this day that Hashem was with us is the day on which it twice said, "It is good" — the nineteenth of the Hebrew month of Kislev, the great anniversary of the passing of our holy Rebbe and teacher, zt"l [the yahrtzeit of the Maggid of Mezritch]. As [I was reciting Tehillim and] I reached the pasuk "My soul was freed in peace" (Tehillim 55:19),72 and before I even began the next verse, I departed in peace. I hereby conclude with peace from the G-d of peace.
 
These are the words of your beloved friend, who constantly prays for your welfare,
 
Shneur Zalman, the son of Reb Baruch, z"l.
 
Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Yud Tes Kislev Rosh HaShana of Chassidus in Chabad

Where Are You? Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZY"A Zatza"l

In 1798, Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi was imprisoned on charges, put forth by the opponents of Chassidism, that his teachings undermined the imperial authority of the czar. For fifty-two days he was held in the Peter-Paul Fortress in Petersburg.

Among the Rav's interrogators was a government minister who possessed broad knowledge of the Bible and Jewish studies. On one occasion, he asked the Rebbe to explain the verse (Genesis 3:9), "And G‑d called out to the man and said to him: 'Where are you?'" Did G‑d not know where Adam was?

Rav Schneur Zalman presented the explanation offered by several of the commentaries: the question "Where are you?" was merely a "conversation opener" on the part of G‑d, who did not wish to unnerve Adam by immediately confronting him with his wrongdoing.

"What Rashi says, I know," said the minister. "I wish to hear how the Rebbe understands the verse."

"Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?" asked the Baal HaTanya. "Do you believe that its every word applies to every individual, under all conditions, at all times?"

"Yes," replied the minister.

Rav Schneur Zalman was extremely gratified to hear this. The czar's minister had affirmed a principle which lies at the basis of the teachings of the holy Ba'al Shem Tov, the very teachings and ideology for which he was standing trial!

"'Where are you?'" explained the Rav, "is G‑d's perpetual call to every man. Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished? You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your mission in life. You have lived so many years and so many days,"—here Rav Schneur Zalman spelled out the exact age of the minister—"Where are you? What have you achieved?"

Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe Zatza"l on 19 Kislev, 5718 (December 12, 1957), on the occasion of the 159th anniversary of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's release from prison.

Git Yom Tov
Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

appendix

Sorry the story was unclear
 
Young Reb Dovid Moshe never had his appendix removed "And therefore my parents did allow them to operate on me"
should have read as "And therefore my parents did NOT allow them to operate on me"
 
My mistake thanks to one of my readers for pointing this out
 
Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
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My recent appendicitis and the Chortkover's yahrzeit 13 Kislev

As wikipedia will tell you:
 
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency.
 
Last Thursday the stomach pain was terrible and by Friday Erev Shabbos I was in the emergency room of Hadassa Ein Karem hospital on the outskirts of Jerusalem. To make a long story short we caught it in the nick of time and I had emergency surgery and was out before Shabbos. Baruch Hashem it was a success and I am home recovering.
 
Please daven for my recovery Tal Moshe ben Esther Frima.
 
 
During my hospital stay on parashas VaYishlach it was the Yorzeit of the holy Reb Yisroel Chortkover, zy"a and I was reading my complimentary copy of HaModia and I happened to read the following Chassidishe Ma'aseh which I will now share with you about appendicitis:
 
Rav Yisroel Friedman of Chortkov was a son of Rav Dovid Moshe of Chortkov and a grandson of the heilige Rizhiner zy"a. He himself had a grandson, named Reb Dovid Moshe later of Edgeware. More about him here http://www.nishmas.org/gdynasty/chapt13.htm
 
The story told was about Reb Dovid Moshe, when he was an older man his son was home with him alone. His son Reb Dov Ber Friedman related that his father's pain was intense and his suffering was great, this was unusual since once when he had had a heart attack he had not even complained! So when he told his son that the pain was unbearable he grew frightened and accompanied him to the emergency ward. Reb Dovid Moshe had been sick of late with the illness that a year later would claim his life and the doctors and nurses had been treating him and knew him well. They were therefore quite surprised at his reaction.
 
After examining him as he lay on the hospital bed and as they wheeled him towards the surgery ward the doctor mentioned to the nurse that it is a sever attack of appendicitis and that they were going to operate and do emergency surgery to remove his appendix before it burst.
 
When Reb Dovid Moshe heard this he began to protest loudly that under no circumstances whatsoever did he agree to the surgery! The doctors and nurses were at a loss, on the one hand they saw he was suffering and in great pain, on the other hand here the man they knew well lay there adamntly refusing surgery. When the doctor suggested instead an x-ray he agreed, and lo and behold the x-ray indicated a fracture pressing against his stomach which gave the impression that he had an enlarged appendix. When the astonished Doctor explained they would do surgery to correct this fracture Reb Dovid Moshe agreed.
 
Afterwards the son turned to his father for an explanation of this seemingly prophetic episode, Reb Dovid Moshe who was to weak to be totally anesthitzied and was therefore awake after only local anesthetic was applied explained:
 
"When I was a young biy I suffered greatly from appendicitis. After the second occasion the doctors wanted to operate saying that if the situation was delayed further it might rupture and causes an infection, heaven forbid. My zeide the holy Reb Yisroel Chortkover visited me bikur cholim and sat on my bedside and said to me "you will not suffer from your appendix anymore." And therefore my parents did allow them to operate on me. Now when the doctor said it was appendicitis I know he must be mistaken! For did not my holy zeide say to me that my appendix would not bother me again? However to do an xray I agreed and to repair the fracture I agreed as well, because that is certainly possible and when it comes to sound medical advice I listen to the doctor."
 
 
(Source Rav Yechiel Yehoshua Rabinowitz Tiferes Yisroel vaYetze p3 - as it appears in this past week's Hamodia supplement on the article about Rav Yisroel Friedman of Chortkov in Hebrew p12-13)
Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

RAIN!!!

The dire situation in Eretz Yisrael demands that we all take part in the upcoming day of davening for the badly-needed rains that are not falling in the Holy Land. Crops are being destroyed, and the water, the essence of life, is not falling.

Following last week's fast day, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has declared Monday, 22 Kislev (NOVEMBER 29th) a day of fasting and prayer, a day which the Rabbis hope will extend to Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora.

At 15:30, a prayer event will commence at the Kotel, in the presence of Rishon L'Tzion Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita, and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Yechiel Metzger Shlita. The chief rabbis call on those unable to attend the Kotel event to gather in local shuls and continue praying on a community level.

The documents appear in the original Hebrew.

תפילה בכותל

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/d7aad7a4d799d79cd794-d791d79bd795d7aad79c.pdf 

עצרת צום ותפילה על גשמים

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/d7a2d7a6d7a8d7aa-d7a6d795d79d-d795d7aad7a4d799d79cd794-d7a2d79c-d792d7a9d79ed799d79d-d7aad7a9d7a2-d790.pdf 

נוסח תפילה על גשמים

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/d7a0d795d7a1d797-d7aad7a4d799d79cd794-d7a2d79c-d792d7a9d79ed799d79d-d7aad7a9d7a2-d790.pdf 

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list here: http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
Noam Elimelech, Kedushas Levi, Pirkei Avos more!
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