When the Rebbe was getting ready to leave 770, R’ Zushe Partisan and all of the guests who had just arrived in 770 stood at the ready. When the Rebbe exited to go to his house, R’ Zushe began to sing “Yifrach B’yamav,” and the Rebbe encouraged the singing with his hands. Once again, there is the feeling that Tishrei has already begun, as more and more guests arrive from all the corners of the globe. * Fascinating reports and memories from Elul 5733 with the Rebbe, published for the very first time from the diary of the late R’ Saadya Maatuf.
By R’ Saadya Maatuf
THE GIFT OF THE BOYS OF GAN YISROEL
Thursday, 2 Elul
Tonight there was no yechidus, since there is no yechidus throughout the month of Elul, so Maariv was at the regular time.
Shabbos, Parshas Shoftim, 4 Elul
There was no farbrengen this Shabbos. On Shabbos morning, there were five chassanim who were called up to the Torah, and there was one chassan at Mincha, mostly from Hadar HaTorah, a baal t’shuva yeshiva in Crown Heights.
At Maariv on Motzaei Shabbos, Rabbi Y forgot and said Kaddish Tiskabel after the Shmoneh Esrei [instead of the half Kaddish said on Motzaei Shabbos], and the Rebbe did not react at all. Afterward, he said Kaddish Tiskabel again. On Motzaei Shabbos, there was a farbrengen with R’ Dovid Raskin, who spoke about k’vutza as he is wont to do.
Sunday, 5 Elul
Today they arranged the large shul downstairs, since it had been shrunk to make room for the work of breaking through the wall in order to expand the shul for Tishrei (in the diary of the month of Menachem Av, it was recounted how the renovations had begun and the Rebbe instructed that they be completed before Rosh HaShana). This time they arranged the zal in a completely different arrangement than usual, because the children of Camp Gan Yisroel are coming today and the Rebbe will daven with them downstairs, standing on a platform set up on the side.
Five buses brought the boys to 770. Mincha actually began at 5 pm, but the preparation began at 3:30, and everybody (the T’mimim and others) grabbed comfortable places to stand. This time, I stood in front of the Aron Kodesh and the pushing there was terrible. Three times we crushed ourselves together, because they announced a few times that the Rebbe was coming in and we literally squeezed all together. Before the Rebbe entered, they read aloud the general letter of the Rebbe for the month of Elul for the children, and one of the counselors translated the letter into English.
After a long wait, the Rebbe entered the beis midrash, and despite the pushing around the Aron Kodesh, the Rebbe walked up close to the Aron Kodesh and touched the paroches, then went up to the platform and signaled the chazan to begin. All the children said Ashrei together out loud with a very nice tune that I found pleasing, and also “Amen Yehei Shmei Raba” in a special tune; also for Modim, Aleinu, and Al Tira, each one with a different tune.
At the final Kaddish, everyone was waiting in anticipation since they thought that the Rebbe would come down from the platform and distribute coins as he did at the previous gathering (described in the diary installment from the month of Menachem Av – SZB), therefore we crowded together in the extreme, but the Rebbe shook his head to indicate that there would not be a distribution.
At this point, one of the counselors addressed the children in front of the Rebbe. He announced that the boys of Gan Yisroel learned 53,000 Mishnayos by heart, and that this was done as a gift for the Rebbe. The counselor concluded his words and they began to sing “Yifrach B’yamav.” The Rebbe made a motion with his hand and exited.
FULFILLING THE DREAM OF COMING TO THE REBBE
Monday, 6 Elul
During the Torah reading, I put down my Chumash D’varim so the Rebbe would look inside it during the Torah reading, and [my fellow Tamim] Margi put his T’hillim there in order for the Rebbe to say T’hillim in it.
(Editor’s note: The first sentence of the following paragraph was removed, since the author of the diary was under the mistaken impression that Labor Day commemorates the emancipation from slavery, and assumed that the parade held in Crown Heights is a reflection of that fact. In actual fact, it is a day to celebrate the contributions of workers and labor unions, and the West Indian parade was established to commemorate the tradition of “Carnival” on some of those islands.)
Eastern Parkway is closed off and the entire roadway is filled with blacks in all sorts of parades, seemingly without any order. In the middle, it began getting cloudy and we prayed for rain. And that is what happened; a strong rain began to pour down which dispersed them in all directions. There were those who ran towards 770, but they were kept out and sent to stand off on the side.
Tuesday, 7 Elul
Today, with much pain we depart from 770, where we were learning until now [during the summer, and since Tishrei was approaching the students of k’vutza were asked to return to their regular place], and it was with difficulty that they convinced us to move to learn in the yeshiva in Chovevei Torah.
This evening, in a good and auspicious time, our friend from Bareket (where the author of the diary was from), Avrohom Sameach, arrived. After many years of hoping, he managed, Boruch Hashem, to realize his dream to come for a visit to the Rebbe’s court. Avrohom brought many letters for me, and therefore I have a lot of work now to answer all of them. The letters that he brought for the Rebbe I already gave in that evening.
It is hard for me to believe that there is, Boruch Hashem, someone here from Bareket, after having been so cut off from home. Meanwhile, we brought him to sleep in our room until the arrival of R’ Moshe Yaroslavsky (the administrator of the Hachnasas Orchim), and then he will move to where the guests [for Tishrei] sleep. We also heard information about the upcoming arrivals of Yosef of Brosh (a cousin of the author, who was then the principal of the Chabad school in Brosh, and now lives in Nachalat Har Chabad), and Moshe Maatuf (now Moshe Dor-Shalom) my brother-in-law’s brother, and we are awaiting their arrival on 21 Elul.
Wednesday, 8 Elul
Maariv was slightly delayed, because R’ Binyomin Gorodetzky went into the Rebbe for yechidus in order to give a report, since he is a general shliach of the Rebbe [as his personal representative to Europe and Africa].
Thursday, 9 Elul
Today they began to break through the wall of the shul [downstairs, to expand 770].
Shabbos Parshas Ki Seitzei, 11 Elul
On Shabbos morning, when Avrohom Sameach and I were returning from the mikva, we saw the Rebbe walking on the street on his way to 770 followed by two bachurim from k’vutza. We immediately began following them until the Rebbe entered his room.
Today, there was no farbrengen. On Motzaei Shabbos, the Rebbe sanctified the moon, and I stood literally right next to the Rebbe.
REGARDS FROM
THE HOLY LAND
Sunday, 12 Elul
Today, the brother of R’ Peretz Chein [R’ Gershon Chein, the rav of Shikkun Chabad in Yerushalayim] arrived from Eretz Yisroel together with his wife [Mrs. Gisya Chein], and the Rebbe called them to his room. The Rebbe said that this is not a yechidus, but he simply wants to hear regards, and that is why Mincha was delayed somewhat.
They are continuing the work of breaking through the wall, and the hope is that they will finish before the holiday season [as the Rebbe instructed]. Today, I took a haircut and to my mazal the Rebbe had a haircut today as well.
Monday, 13 Elul
Mincha was later than usual, since the Rebbe made a surprise visit to the Ohel.
Wednesday, 15 Elul
Today the Rebbe went to the Ohel as usual on this date, and therefore Mincha was later than usual. At Mincha, the chazan was R’ Yosef Wineberg and after the Kaddish following Aleinu, the Rebbe motioned to R’ Yosef Wineberg, and the secretary Rabbi Groner immediately went over to him and called him to the Rebbe’s room. The Rebbe said a few words to him at the entrance to his room and R’ Yosef did not say what the Rebbe told him, but immediately went outside.
This evening I went with Yisroel Levin to the airport to welcome relatives coming from Eretz Yisroel [my cousin] R’ Yosef Maatuf and Moshe, my brother-in-law’s brother. At 7:30 passengers from Sabena began to pass us [Chassidim were also on this flight] and in the meantime, the Pariz brothers had also arrived at the airport to welcome their parents [R’ Boruch and his wife] who came for their son Yosef Yitzchok’s wedding, and Yisroel Levin’s brothers, who came with a car to welcome their brother, Mosh’ke Levin.
Boruch Hashem, we met with Moshe and then with Yosef. We arrived together at 770. After years of anticipation, these friends of ours merited “to gaze upon the pleasantness of Hashem and visit in his manor.” We immediately went into the [secretaries’] office in order to write a note to the Rebbe about the arrival of the guests. The Rebbe came out for Maariv and it was the first time that Yosef and Moshe were seeing the Rebbe. Of course, they said the SheHechiyanu blessing.
THE SHIDDUCH IS GOOD
Friday, 17 Elul
Lately, we see how the construction in 770 is speeding up. We hope that by Rosh HaShana we will already be able to daven there in comfort.
I submitted the letters that had been sent with Yosef and Moshe to the secretaries, whereas the letter sent by Menachem Sameach [today of Shikkun Chabad Lud] regarding a shidduch (with Esther Maatuf, the sister of the author of this diary), I gave to R’ Binyamin Klein and said that it was urgent. He wrote “urgent” on it (the Rebbe’s response appears further on).
Shabbos, Parshas Ki Savo. 18 Elul
Today at Shacharis and Mincha they took out the Moshiach Torah.
There was a farbrengen today, in the course of which the Rebbe gave mashke to R’ Moshe Yaroslavksy and to R’ Dovid Raskin and some activists. Some chassanim also received mashke, including Dovid Eliezrie and Yosef Yitzchok Pariz.
After Mincha, the Rebbe began singing “V’Samachta B’Chagecha” and we immediately went outside and stood, as usual, on the sidewalk and waited for the Rebbe to come out. When he came out, he motioned with his hands and we escorted the Rebbe home.
On Motzaei Shabbos, the secretary Rabbi Klein called me and said he has an answer from the Rebbe regarding the shidduch for Menachem Sameach. He said as follows, “The shidduch is good and may it be in a good and successful time, I will mention it at the tziyun.” I quickly wrote two express letters to the chassan and kalla, Menachem and Esther, to give them the good news. It should be noted that I received the answer unusually quickly. The truth is that at first I thought of calling, but because it was so expensive, I decided to write express letters which I will send tomorrow, as soon as the post office opens.
Sunday, 19 Elul
Today Avrohom came to me and said he was ready to call Eretz Yisroel to inform [his brother] Menachem, and this is what we had really thought of doing. I had already taken the phone number of the yeshiva in Lud so that the menahel, Rabbi Efraim Wolf, would tell Menachem about it [Menachem was a madrich in the Talmud Torah in Lud]. When I went back to R’ Klein to ascertain exactly what the Rebbe’s answer was, he wrote it down for me. I offhandedly asked him to do me a favor and call R’ Efraim Wolf. He said he had to call him in any case, and he wrote Menachem’s name down on the side in order to remember. But in the afternoon I asked him whether he had called and he said he had not gotten through and maybe he would call the next day. In any case, I had already sent off the two letters.
Today, the Rebbe went to the Ohel.
Monday, 20 Elul
Tonight, the Rebbe went home at 1:15 at night. They work on the shul at night too, to move things along.
Tuesday, 21 Elul
Today, Mincha was at 4 in the afternoon because Rabbi [Yisroel Yitzchok] Piekarski had yechidus in order to give a report about his visit to Eretz Yisroel. Before him was another Chassid who had come from England.
Today they brought a tractor to break the wall in the shul and they continue to work into the night.
MORE ARRIVALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Wednesday, 22 Elul
Today, the Rebbe said a special sicha for the women, as he does every year. The Rebbe spoke from about 8 in the evening for half an hour. R’ Groner told the women not to approach the Rebbe after the sicha.
Today, Dovid Feldman came from Eretz Yisroel, and yesterday, Moshe Rosenfeld, Shmuel Bruk, and Yitzchok Blizinsky came from Eretz Yisroel. Every day, guests [for Tishrei] come from many countries and tomorrow we await the [charter] group from Eretz Yisroel.
Thursday, 23 Elul
The Rebbe says Kaddish on this day and the reason is not known. (Now we know that it is the yahrtzait of his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky. However it is worth noting that this year, 5733, the Rebbe said Kaddish for three days.) At Maariv the night before, the Rebbe did not say Kaddish, but at Shacharis the Rebbe said the Kaddeishim, and at the final Kaddish, after saying the Mishna, he passed his holy hand over his forehead and said the Kaddish. Then there were the morning t’kios and the baal tokeia was Dovid Malka.
The Rebbe went to the Ohel today and in the meantime, the T’mimim arranged a trip to the airport to welcome our mashpia, R’ Mendel Futerfas shlita. I also registered and paid for the trip, but in the end, because they did not announce when they were going and from where, I didn’t manage to make this trip. I went back to 770 where I met Yossi and Yitzchok Gruzman and Kupchik.
R’ Mendel came with the T’mimim and a few minutes later the Rebbe came from the Ohel. We immediately ran into 770 [to get a comfortable spot and to hear the Rebbe’s Kaddish Yasom]. The Rebbe, as usual, went to wash his hands and went to his room and then immediately went to the small zal and said Kaddish (no reason is stated), and they began saying Ashrei. At the conclusion of the davening, the Rebbe said the Kaddeishim. R’ Yoel Kahn [who was a chiyuv that year] said the Kaddish after the Rebbe finished his Kaddish and then the Rebbe went to his room.
SURPRISE: THE REBBE GAVE OUT 20 CENTS
After the davening, Rabbi Chadakov said that there was a special instruction from the Rebbe regarding guests who come in Tishrei. The crowd returned to the small zal and R’ Chadakov explained that the Rebbe said that all the guests who come to the sidrei limud (learning sessions) [which took place in the big zal] would get ten cents to be given to tz’daka, and they could add as much as they wanted to this sum, and another ten cents as payment for their exertions, getting 20 cents from the Rebbe each day.
R’ Chadakov finished talking, and R’ Zushe Partisan (Wilyamovsky), who was also among the guests, began dancing and singing “Yifrach B’Yamav.”
The Rebbe came out for Maariv. It is hard to describe the pushing; we are already beginning to feel Tishrei. This time too, the Rebbe said the Kaddeishim.
After the davening, the Rebbe went to his room and we waited for him to come out. In the meantime, Nachum Mizrachi and Porush arrived. The great joy in this encounter cannot be described; finally, the yearned-for dream was realized (another two who merited to come to the Rebbe for the first time).
In anticipation of the Rebbe coming out, R’ Zushe Partisan and all the guests who had just come stood ready. When the Rebbe emerged to go home, R’ Zushe began singing “Yifrach B’ Yamav,” and the Rebbe made encouraging motions with his hands. Once again, we feel that Tishrei has begun, with the arrival of more and more guests from all over the world.
Friday, 24 Elul
Today they began pouring concrete in the shul in order to lay a floor over it, and the work went on until right before Kabbalas Shabbos. It is hoped that most of the work will be completed by Rosh HaShana.
Today was the first day they gave out the 20 cents that the Rebbe asked to be given out to the guests who participate in the learning.
THE BOYS AND GIRLS
SAY L’CHAIM
Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-VaYeilech, 25 Elul
On Shabbos eve, the Rebbe said the Kaddeishim and there was shoving because everyone wanted to hear the Rebbe. I stood in the front row and Yosef and Moshe also stood in the front. In the morning, at the T’hillim for Shabbos Mevarchim, the Rebbe said Kaddish after each seifer.
This Shabbos they took out the Moshiach Torah once again.
At the farbrengen, I stood at my set place, on the box, as usual. It should be noted that this time I tried to concentrate, and I understood most of the sichos (the sichos were in Yiddish, not the author’s mother tongue). Between the sichos, the Rebbe spoke about hachnasas orchim and once again mentioned the point of giving 20 cents to each of the guests who learned. Once again, he spoke about the education of boys and girls (this was the period when the Rebbe made a big commotion about “mi’pi olelim” and in retrospect it was seen as a spiritual preparation for the war that broke out on Yom Kippur 5734 – SZB), and he said that all the children should say l’chaim from their place. That’s what happened; they all said l’chaim and the Rebbe said the girls should say l’chaim from the women’s section. R’ Dovid Raskin took mashke that the Rebbe gave him, and cups [and gave out l’chaim], and the Rebbe kept looking, sometimes upward to the women’s section, and sometimes at the boys in the men’s section, who were saying l’chaim. There was a little girl who screamed l’chaim and the Rebbe smiled and said l’chaim to her. The Rebbe gave mashke to the shliach in Africa – that’s what they said, but I don’t know who that Chassid is.
On Motzaei Shabbos, there was a review of the farbrengen with R’ Yoel Kahn. Then most of the T’mimim worked in the shul in order to speed up the pace. We did not go to sleep because tonight we start saying Slichos. In the meantime, they moved the Aron Kodesh to the new wing despite the fact that there was no flooring yet, but they wanted the Rebbe to say Slichos in the new wing.
The Rebbe came down for Slichos around 1:00 and the pushing was indescribable, stronger than ever. If this is the way it is before the start of Tishrei, who knows what will be when it is actually Tishrei! But Hashem will help. After finishing Slichos, the Rebbe gave a bang on the lectern and they began singing “Rachmana D’Anei.” After the Rebbe went out, the dancing continued.
The gabbai announced that everyone should take their t’fillin, because the next day they would be laying the flooring for the entire shul. Everyone took their t’fillin and we went to sleep at 3:00 in the morning.
Sunday, 26 Elul
The Rebbe went to the Ohel today.
Another group came from Eretz Yisroel today, including R’ Yosef Mizrachi, R’ Avrohom Shaer and his wife, Yoske Perman and others. After Maariv, one of the guests loudly recited the SheHechiyanu blessing and everyone responded with Amen.
When the Rebbe went home, R’ Zushe Partisan stood outside and began to sing. The Rebbe smiled and motioned with his hand. After he went home, all the guests went to eat in the Hachnasas Orchim dining room.
Monday, 27 Elul
Tonight, the Rebbe remained in 770 until 1:30 and said Slichos around then. There was a small crowd for this Slichos, because everyone thought the Rebbe would say Slichos in the morning, as usual. After Slichos, the Rebbe went home.
These days, they are picking up the pace of the construction of the shul, and literally everyone is working hard so that the work will be completed before Rosh HaShana, which falls out this year on Thursday and Friday.
Tuesday, 28 Elul
More guests came today from Eretz Yisroel.
At night there was a farbrengen to mark the birthday of the Tzemach Tzedek. The Rebbe came down at 9:35 in the evening. They expanded the area for the farbrengen because the shul was expanded, and they added tables in the middle. The Rebbe immediately began to say a maamer and then he said a few short sichos. The farbrengen ended around 11 at night.
Wednesday, Erev Rosh HaShana 5734
Slichos began at seven in the morning, and during Slichos there were some photographers taking pictures the entire time. After Slichos, the Rebbe went to his room. In the meantime, people organized themselves into groups of ten for Hataras Nedarim until davening began.
At 9:30 the Rebbe came down for davening and there was a lot of pushing. After Shacharis, ten ziknei Anash gathered and the Rebbe said Hataras Nedarim before them, at the end of which he blessed them with “L’shana tova u’mesuka,” and went up to his room.
At the end of davening, each person wrote a pidyon nefesh. Then a long line formed to give the panim to the Rebbe. After I gave my pa”n, the Rebbe blessed me with “K’siva va’chasima tova.” I then went out to the bus to the Ohel where I said the Maaneh Lashon. At 11, we went back to 770 and there was still a line for giving panim, because now and then there were breaks in the line.
In the meantime, they continue with the final renovations of the shul before Rosh HaShana.