I had a friend who went through a great spiritual yerida (descent). I dragged him with me to the library where he saw a video of the Rebbe singing “Tzama Lecha Nafshi” and he began to sob. This was a bachur who cynically mocked everything sacred, but when he saw the Rebbe, he saw the truth and it moved him.
Why did the Rebbe Rayatz send a shliach to his mother under the German bombs? What aroused the Mitteler Rebbe from his faint after the passing of his father? Why did the Rebbe Rashab apologize to his mother? About whom did the Rebbe Maharash say “It’s a great pity on him?” * A compilation of stories about our Rebbeim’s respect for parents, from the book “Kibbud Av V’Eim,” presented for “Honor your father and mother” in this week’s parsha.
Moshiach is one whose entire being is permeated with Torah. His inside is just like his outside. As such he will usher in the age that will be deluged with the knowledge of G-d. No part of the human being will be left outside of the water. This knowledge will totally permeate our entire being. This coincides with the letter Mem of the word Emes.
Rabbi Avrohom Dov Hecht a”h was a Chassid and mekushar to the Rebbe. * Upon being appointed rabbi of the Syrian community, as rabbi of the Shaarei Tziyon synagogue in Flatbush, he led a k’hilla of 1000 Syrians. As president of the Igud HaRabbanim, Rabbinical Alliance of America, he carried out many missions for the Rebbe. He fought fearlessly for the Rebbe’s battles of Mihu Yehudi and Shleimus HaAretz.
In 5726, Yitzchak Nimtzovitz of Galei Tzahal, Israel’s Army Radio, attended a farbrengen that took place in Kfar Chabad. On his visit there, he interviewed two prominent Chabad activists. During the interview, the Chassidim described the Rebbe and the Chabad-Lubavitch Movement in their own inimitable style. Mr. Nimtzovitz broadcast their fascinating description in a special Galei Tzahal program dedicated to outstanding Jewish personalities.
The Maggid concluded and said to the wealthy man: One who has a spark is moved and cries, and one who does not have a spark does not cry. It seems you don’t have a spark, and therefore my fanning it doesn’t affect you. * Stories and sayings from R’ Chaim Shaul Brook a”h as recorded by his close talmid, R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h.
R’ Amram Malka had the opportunity to help out in the Rebbe’s home and the home of Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, wife of the Rebbe Rayatz. The two Rebbetzins were mekarev him and he had a special relationship with them and the Rebbe. * R’ Amram Malka reminisces.
In order to clarify his intent, the Rebbe qualified the term by saying, “long life – chayim aruchim.” Everyone knows that “chayim aruchim” means “life” in the literal sense, physical life (as the term is used in nusach ha’t’fillos, in Slichos, and the like).
R’ Hillel Zaltzman, known to our readers for his fascinating memoirs of life in Samarkand, shares another chapter, this time about his uncle. R’ Benzion Pil was so outstanding in his tz’daka and chesed that even R’ Itche der Masmid was amazed by him. R’ Mendel Futerfas admired him and said that from him he learned how to dispense tz’daka freely. * Chassidim of a previous generation.
The life story of R’ Boruch Sholom Schneersohn, the Rebbe’s grandfather’s grandfather; the great-grandchild whom the Alter Rebbe loved exceedingly; the great-grandchild who was with his great-grandfather until he passed away and was a broken man from then on. The tzaddik whose behavior was so modest that he was the only one of the Tzemach Tzedek’s children who did not take on an Admorus. As a reward for this, he was promised that the Admorus would come back to his descendants.
Ronnie explained: “Everything that happens in this world is nonsense, transient, false. There is nothing but G-d, everything is G-dliness.” Daniel could not stop crying. “Do you know these words?” wondered Ronnie. “Why are you crying? Can you explain what’s going on?”
“Secular” Jews were not Jews, Chassidim were heretics, and only the holy Torah could save me from the blazing fires of Gehinom… My goal was to be the Gadol HaDor…
Musician Yishai Lapidot was in Ulm, Germany. He was invited by a shliach to visit there to celebrate a Chanukas HaBayis. He shared his impressions with the listening public on his “Ishi B’Shishi” radio program.
January 31, 2013