CONTENTS

26
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
11 Parsha Thought
22 Moshiach And Geula
34 Tzivos Hashem

THE AMERICAN RABBI

WITH CONNECTIONS TO
LUBAVITCH
Menachem Ziegelboim

SHEVET HALEVI
14 THE
AND THE ADMOREI
LUBAVITCH

Shneur Zalman Berger

26 BEHIND
THE SCENES

OF MODERN DAY
SHMITA OBSERVANCE
Zalman Tzorfati

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2015-05-18 11:59:21 PM

DVAR MALCHUS

WHEN THERE IS A
REBBE, THERE ARE
CHASSIDIM
One who is [by name] a Chassid but is not a
Chassid this causes the Rebbe to not be a
Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe was a Rebbe, so he
made Chassidim. And the Chassidim, by being
Chassidim and by being accomplished in the
realm of the service of the heart [prayer] they
gave strength to the Rebbe. * From Chapter
Eight of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei
Mekoros (Underlined text is the compilers
emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

[The Rebbe Rayatz narrates:

During a visit of elder Chassidim
to my home soon after my
wedding] the Chassid, Reb
Yaakov Mordechai Bespalov,
nishmaso Eden, told those
present that once during a
yechidus [with the Rebbe
Maharash] he had asked the
Rebbe to elaborate on certain
points of the maamer delivered
on the preceding Shabbos
relating to the concept of Adam
Kadmon. The Rebbe directed
him to study the maamer
in Likkutei Torah entitled
LaMnatzeiach Al HaShminis,
and told him to ask his son
(the Rebbe Rashab) for the
unpublished explanation of that
maamer. []
[Reb Yaakov Mordechai

concluded his account of the

yechidus with what the Rebbe
Maharash had said about the
Alter Rebbe.] He was a Rebbe,
and where there is a Rebbe, there
are Chassidim.
(In the midst of relating these
words, Reb Yaakov Mordechai
began to weep copious tears,
affecting all those present. They
tried to calm him down, but to
no avail, until Reb Leib Hofmann
said: This is a time of a threefold simcha the birthday of the
Baal Shem Tov, the day of his
revealing himself to the world [as
a hidden tzaddik], and our Rebbe
is celebrating the wedding of his
only son. Is this a time to cry?!
Rav of Poltava, this is a time to
do tshuva!
(Reb Leib, who had an

incredible voice, began to sing a

niggun, and all of his companions
joined in. Reb Dovid Tzvi Chein,
Reb Sholom Reb Hillels, and
Reb Asher Grossman then rose
from the table and started to
dance. Following their lead,
they were soon joined by all the
others all that is, except for
Reb Yaakov Mordechai, who was
weeping, his head resting on his
arms. The elder Chassidim went
to fill their cups to say lchaim.
(At this point, Reb Yaakov
Mordechai stopped crying but
said in a tremulous voice: The
Rebbe told me then, When
there is a Rebbe, there are
Chassidim).
[Reb Yaakov Mordechai
then resumed his account of
how the Rebbe Maharash had
concluded that yechidus.] That
is, Chassidim that are active
in avoda. But one who is [by
name] a Chassid but is not a
Chassid this causes the Rebbe
to not be a Rebbe. The Alter
Rebbe was a Rebbe, so he made
Chassidim. And the Chassidim,
by being Chassidim and by being
accomplished in the realm of the
service of the heart [prayer]
they gave strength to the Rebbe.
(Likkutei Dibburim pg. 37; see
the translation by Uri Kaploun, Vol.
1, pg. 87-88)

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PROFILE

THE AMERICAN
RABBI WITH
CONNECTIONS
TO LUBAVITCH
R Herschel Schachter was well known to numerous American Jews
because he filled a long list of rabbinic, leadership and communal roles.
* He was drawn to Lubavitch from his youth as the result of a Tanya shiur
he attended. * Throughout the years, he was in touch with the Rebbe who
gave him various missions to carry out, some of them secret.
By Menachem Ziegelboim

t is two years since the

passing of Rabbi Tzvi
Herschel Schachter zl,
chairman of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations, president of
HaPoel HaMizrachi, and the one
who provided rabbinic services
at Yeshiva University in New
York. For many years he served
on the board of directors of the
Rabbinical Council of America
and in various leadership roles in
the OU, between the years 57305742. He was a prominent figure
in Orthodox Jewish leadership in
the US.
R Schachter was in touch

with the Rebbe regarding

communal matters and the Rebbe
constantly urged him to do more.

BECOMING ACQUAINTED
WITH LUBAVITCH
R Herschel Schachter was
born on 24 Tishrei 5678 in
Brownsville, in Brooklyn. He
attended Yeshivas Rabbeinu
Chaim Berlin for elementary
school and then the mesivta of
Torah Vodaas in Williamsburg.
Later, he attended Yeshivas
Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchonon
(YU), because he felt that there
he would get a better Jewish

education.
In his youth he met R Yisroel
Jacobson, a distinguished Chabad
Chassid, who was the director of
Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the
US. R Jacobson taught a group
of American bachurim and gave
them a taste of Chassidus.
R
Schachter
reminisced
about those years:
I got to know R Yisroel
Jacobson through friends who
learned with me in Torah Vodaas.
R Jacobson lived in Brownsville
at the time, not far from my
parents. There was a group
of boys who would go to his
house every Motzaei Shabbos

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in order to learn Tanya with

him. I loved R Jacobson; he
was very smart, dynamic, and
charismatic. He embodied all the
traits of authentic Chassidim. His
dedication to Lubavitch knew no
bounds. He had a small shul in
Brownsville but devoted most of
his time to his work as director
of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in
America.
One day, word got out
about the boys who visited the
Chassidic rabbis home. This
generated a major commotion, as
R Jacobson himself related in his
memoirs:

It was at the beginning

of 5692 when Avrohom MM
Barnetzky, Yitzchok Kolodny,
and Tzvi Schachter came to
shiurim in Chassidus that I would
give to talmidim. On Shavuos
(I think it was 1933) there was
a farbrengen in my house with
the talmidim, which was also
attended by R Yochanan Gordon
and his brother R YY. The
atmosphere warmed up and they
gradually took some mashke.
They sat on the floor. This was
the first time the bachurim had
a taste of hard liquor after taking
lchaim two or three times.

This created a commotion

in town. They said R Jacobson
had inebriated the bachurim.
Generally, every occurrence or
statement that was out of the
ordinary would immediately
spread in Brownsville (where
most of my students lived)
and also in the yeshiva in
Williamsburg where the talmidim
usually learned.
The parents who were not
of Anash and were bnei Torah
came to my home to see what I
was learning with the talmidim
and what was attracting them
to come to my house in the

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Profile
dark and spend hours there. R
Avrohom Mordechai Mateshin
the father of Yitzchok came, and
R Pinchas Schachter the father
of Tzvi came, as did others.
In the Rebbe Rayatzs letters
from the beginning of 5699, you
can see that Herschel Schachter
was one of the members of
the Vaad HaPoel shel Achei
Tmimim: I was pleased to
read the names of the members
of the Vaad HaPoel of Achei
Tmimim, Greenberg, Meir;
Goldman, Shlomo, representative
from Yeshivas Chafetz Chaim;
Mordechai Fisher and Tzvi
Schachter,
representatives
of
Yeshivas
R
Yitzchok
Elchonon; Erbert, Yitzchok,
representative of mesivta R
Chaim
Berlin;
Barnetzky,
Avrohom representative of those
learning outside yeshivos; Stark,
Yisroel, representative of those
in business. The Rebbe goes
on to write that the six general
enactments that they suggested at
their meeting that were enclosed
in this letter are all good and I
hereby ratify them in order to
bring them with Hashems help
from the potential state to the
actual. The Rebbe expressed
his hopes that the learning and
reviewing of Chassidus was
properly established and that all
involved were doing the work
that they committed to.

JEWS, YOU ARE FREE!

R Schachter received his BA
from Yeshiva University in 1938
and his MA from Yeshivas Rabbi
Yitzchok Elchanan in 1941. For
about a year he served as rav in a
community in Stamford, CT.
In 1942, he enlisted in
the army and served as a
chaplain. In 1945 he was the
first army chaplain to enter and
participate in the liberation of the
Buchenwald concentration camp.

Later, he was involved in the

resettling of the tens of thousands
of displaced persons.
While participating in the
liberation of Buchenwald along
with the US army, he saw a
Jewish child, known today by all
as Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, rav of
Tel Aviv-Jaffa. On the morning of
that day, 28 Nissan 5705, most of
the SS soldiers had left the camp
and had fled for their lives. A few
hours later, American soldiers
from the Sixth Armored Division
arrived, along with R Schachter,
chaplain of the division.
In his book, R Lau tells of
R Schachters arrival at the
camp and the moving encounter
between them:
[As a child] I was frightened
of the new army that entered the
gates of the camp. We did not
know whether they were with us,
or with our enemies. I hid behind
a pile of bodies. Rabbi Herschel
Schachter, chaplain of the
division described our meeting
many a time.
He got down from one of
the jeeps, wearing a soldiers
uniform, and stood facing the pile
of bodies. Suddenly, he thought
he saw a pair of eyes looking at
him and he was frightened. He
may even have drawn his gun
with the instinctive reflexes of a
soldier in order to defend himself
and then, and this I remember
clearly, he saw me, a child of
eight, looking at him from behind
the pile of bodies with wide
open eyes. He looked shocked
there in the killing fields, in the
puddles of spilled blood, a child!
I was frozen in fright while he, he
realized that a child in a place like
this meant a Jewish child.
The rabbi put back his gun
and picked me up and hugged
me in a fatherly embrace. Then
he asked in a heavy accented
Yiddish: How old are you,

my child? I saw that he had

tears rolling from his eyes.
Nevertheless, I was terrified
and answered cautiously: What
difference does it make? In any
case, I am older than you
He smiled through his tears
and asked: Why do you think
you are older than me? Without
hesitation I said: Because you
cry and laugh like a child and I
havent laughed in a long time
and as for crying I dont cry
anymore. So which of us is
older?
R Lau goes on to say that R
Schachter asked what his family
name is and where he was from
and was excited to hear that he
was the son of the rav of Pietrikov
and the nephew of R Meir
Shapiro of Lublin ztl. When R
Lau told him that he was alone,
without his parents, just his

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Naftali Lau would say that R

Herschel Schachter was the first
person who offered him succor
and restored his self-confidence
and his confidence in humanity.
Many discarded their faith,
said R Schachter, and there was
no quick and easy response for
them.
R Schachter remained in
Buchenwald for another few
months, until after Shavuos
1945, and provided the survivors
with religious services. On
Shavuos, it was he who led the
davening in the camp.
Then he helped the resettling
of the displaced persons, one of
them being the famous author,
Elie Wiesel. He was one of the
thousands of Jewish orphans who
were liberated in the camp. R
Schachter was discharged from
the army with the rank of captain.

I WAS DRAWN
TO THE REBBE
R Schachter davening with survivors of Buchenwald

brother Naftali who was in the

infirmary for typhus, the two of
them went to find him. On their
way, they announced the news of
liberation in the barracks.
I remember that people lay
there with dull eyes, with no
strength to pick themselves up off
the bunks, to race to the gate of
the camp and shout, hooray, with
the others. Jews, you are free!
shouted the American rabbi in
Yiddish, and people looked at him
with a wordless question in their
eyes, Who is this meshugener
standing here in uniform and
shouting in Yiddish?
When they reached the
infirmary,
R
Schachter
introduced himself to Naftali
as the military chaplain in

the division that liberated

Buchenwald. He took out some
containers of orange juice from
his pocket. I know who you are
and I will help you and everything
will be alright, he said to Naftali.
Mazal tov, weve gone from
avdus to cheirus.
Those who miraculously
survived were more dead than
alive. For the next ten weeks, R
Schachter continued to work
indefatigably to revive them. He
gave us back our spirit, said Jack
Rosenthal, who was a boy of 16
when Buchenwald was liberated.
We had been destroyed,
spiritually and emotionally, and
he restored our humanity that
had been robbed from us for so
long.

Thanks
to
R
Yisroel
Jacobsons great influence on
the boys, six of them decided to
travel to Otvotzk in Poland, to
where the Rebbe Rayatz was.
R Jacobson tried to convince
me to go too, said R Schachter,
but I wasnt ready to make that
step. I stayed in America and
continued learning in Yeshivas
Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchonon
while keeping in touch with R
Jacobson.
Later, R Schachter became
involved in the tremendous
efforts made by his teacher R
Jacobson, in rescuing the Rebbe
Rayatz from Europe.
Upon the Rebbes arrival in
America, young Herschel went
to see him. He did not become
a Chassid (I chose a more
modern path, identifying with
Yeshiva College where I finished
my degree. I stayed there and

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Profile
studied rabbinics and became
an Orthodox rabbi), but greatly
admired the Rebbe.
The Rebbe Rayatzs son-inlaw, Ramash, came to America
one year later and R Schachter
met him.
I once went to the Rebbe
Rayatz and the Rebbe told me
to speak with his son-in-law,
Rabbi
(Menachem
Mendel)
Schneersohn, and I did so. He
wanted to know what I was
doing for Judaism and whether I
could be influential. He was very

which you serve, into a center of

dissemination for the waters of
life, of the Torah of life, the Torah
of truth.
In another long letter that
dealt with communal matters,
which the Rebbe sent to him in
Nissan 1957, the Rebbe noted, I
received your letter of 9 Adar II
with the enclosed, the publication
which I read with interest. Due to
great busyness my response was
delayed. The Rebbe ended the
long letter with blessings that
you recognize your inner role

After 120 years, when I go before the heavenly

throne, I am going to remind the Ribbono Shel
Olam of what these two geonim said to one another
about me.

young.
This connection with the
Rebbe continued over the years,
when the Rebbe took over the
Chabad leadership.
I was drawn to him as were
countless Jews. Needless to say, I
found him to be an extraordinary
personality.
Over the years, I wrote to
the Rebbe a number of times and
he wrote back to me. He, like his
father-in-law, tried to talk to me
about going on various missions,
like traveling to Australia, but I
wasnt ready to do that.
In a long letter that the Rebbe
wrote to him in 5716, the Rebbe
entered into a detailed discussion
about the specific problems
facing American Jewry at that
time. The Rebbe encouraged
him in his efforts to increase the
positive expansion of traditional
Jewry.
Your real goal, concluded
the Rebbe in the letter, is to
transform
the
organization

which is to make of the center

where you serve, a center of our
Torah, the Torah of life, Torah of
truth. Truth means the negation
of all compromises. And fulfill
your role with expansiveness and
with blessings for a kosher and
happy Pesach.
In 5732, the Rebbe sent him,
along with other rabbanim, a
letter in which he encouraged
them for founding the Public
Office for Checking Tfillin and
Mezuzos. In his letter, he wishes
them success in establishing
and disseminating all aspects of
Judaism and kashrus without
dubiety and furthermore, with
hiddur.

REMAINING AT HIS POST

Four years after returning
from liberating Buchenwald, R
Schachter was asked to lead the
Jewish Center at Mosholu in the
Bronx. The area had a flourishing
Jewish community at the time,
in the 50s and 60s, and about

1000 congregants packed the

shul to hear R Schachters
sermons.
In
addition
to
his
congregation, R Schachters
influence was on a global level,
for he served as chairman of
two
national
organizations
representing Orthodox Jewry
in America. Malcolm Hoenlein,
executive vice chairman of the
Conference of Presidents of
Major Jewish Organizations,
remembers those years when
R Schachter was able to
maintain the unity among
Jewish communities in America
despite the enormous ideological
differences. He really reached
both ends of the spectrum
and earned the respect of his
colleagues.
For over fifty years, R
Schachter led his flock at
Mosholu, but like many other
Jewish communities in the
metropolitan area, the Jewish
community
in
the
Bronx
contracted. In 5759, the shul
was closed after seventy-two
years and the building was sold.
Throughout those years, R
Schachter remained with his
congregation even though he
received many offers of rabbinic
positions in more prestigious
places.
I stayed in the Bronx despite
it all, as long as I was able to
be involved in various aspects
in service of the Jewish people
outside the narrow bounds of one
congregation, he said.

DANGEROUS
MISSIONS TO RUSSIA
Among the many roles R
Schachter had, he served as the
founding director of the National
Conference on Soviet Jewry and
chairman of the Rabbinical Board
of the JDC. In these positions,

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he helped the Jews of the Soviet

Union during those terrible times
and also accepted assignments
from the Rebbe for Jews behind
the Iron Curtain.
In 5716, he joined a
delegation of rabbanim that went
to the Soviet Union, together
with his colleague in the RCA
Rabbi David Hollander, in
his role as special advisor to
President Nixon.
Before we left, we had a long
meeting with the Rebbe, said
R Schachter. We were given
instructions regarding certain
people, and specific places to
visit, told where to go, what to
see, etc. The Rebbes knowledge
was amazing.
The Rebbe relied on us,
I think, and he gave us the
information and indeed, we
went there and saw. We met and
spoke with Chabad Chassidim
in Moscow, Leningrad, Georgia,
Tbilisi and Kutais.
We get another perspective on
the visit as seen by the Chassidim,
from the memoirs of R Chaim
Ozer Marinovsky who lived in
the Soviet Union at that time. He
relates:
In 5716, a delegation of
American rabbanim came to the
Soviet Union, Rabbis Schachter
and Hollander. They came to
visit the central synagogue of
Moscow and R Shleifer (the rav
of Moscow) welcomed them. The
visit was highly unusual which is
why people were afraid to speak
to them because they knew the
government was watching. That
day, my father and I were still
in Moscow and we went to the
shul. When R Shleifer saw us,
he told my father I should meet
with the rabbanim so they could
see that even in Russia a young
generation was growing up that
learned Torah.
I was afraid to meet with

Summer 1956. On a visit to R Shlomo Shleifer, Chief Rabbi of Moscow

them. On the one hand, I was

afraid I would have to praise the
governments behavior toward
the Jews, which would give the
rabbanim a mistaken impression
of what life was really like. On the
other hand, I was afraid that if I
refused to meet them, it would be
an affront to the government.
In the end, my father said
that he wanted to be present at

this meeting and then he found

a private place where the four of
us met and nobody overheard us.
My father was very moved and
spoke to them, in tears, saying
they should convey to the world
the true situation in Russia and
reported about the religious
persecution
that
prevailed
throughout the Soviet Union.
R Schachter visited Jewish

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Profile
communities all over the world
and often served as the long arm
of the Rebbe. I also made many
other trips around the world, for
various purposes, and I always
consulted with the Rebbe. He
knew precisely who was in each
place.

THE REBBE ALWAYS

REMEMBERS
Throughout the years, R
Schachter was in touch with
the Rebbe, sometimes more
regularly and sometimes less so.
There were even periods when
there was no contact at all, but
R Schachter found out that
the Rebbe was always keeping
tabs on his activities. When he
occasionally showed up at the
Rebbes farbrengen, the Rebbe
would say, I did not see you for
some time now.
R Schachter repeated this
and said in amazement, The
Rebbe was a genius. There was
no one like him. He remembered

his personal connections with a

hundred thousand people.
R Yosef Ber (J. B.)
Soloveitchik of New York and
Boston, attended the Rebbes
Yud Shevat farbrengen in 5740.
His close disciple, R Schachter,
accompanied him and was the
one who arranged the visit. The
Rebbe gave R Soloveitchik great
and unusual honor.
Years later, in a video




interview with JEM, R Schachter

recalled:
The moment the rav got
up to leave the farbrengen, the
Rebbe got up. The rav did not
wait for the Rebbe to come to
him but went to the Rebbe to
shake his hand and say goodbye.
I went with the rav, right behind
him. They spoke to one another
for a few minutes and one could
see on their faces that these two
men liked one another
I was standing right there
and I heard the Rebbe say to
the rav as he looked at me, You
have, boruch Hashem, wonderful
students.
R
Schachter
concluded,
After 120 years, when I go
before
the
kisei
hakavod
(heavenly throne), I am going to
remind the Ribbono Shel Olam
of what these two geonim said to
one another about me.
R Schachter passed away two
years ago at the age of 95, leaving
his wife, a son, and a daughter.

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PARSHA THOUGHT

ANGELOLOGY
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

ALL OF YOUR
HEARTS DESIRES
Every detail of the Jewish
peoples sojourn in the desert
was choreographed by G-d. The
twelve tribes were divided into
four formations, each consisting
of three tribes. While each tribe
had its own distinctively colored
flag, there were an additional
four flags, one for each of the
tribal formations.
The Torah, in this weeks
parsha, describes it thus:
The children of Israel should
encamp, each man by his banner,
according to the insignias of their
fathers household, at a distance
surround the Tent of Meeting
shall they encamp.
The significance of flags was
not lost on our Sages, as they
state in the Midrash:
When G-d revealed Himself
to the Jewish people at Sinai,
22,000 chariots of angels
descended with Him and
they all came with flags. Upon
witnessing that they came with
their flags, the Jewish people
began to desire flags. They said,
If only we could have flags
like theirs If only He would
bestow upon us His love
Said G-d to them: What do you
desire? To make flags? I swear
that I will fulfill your wish, as
it is stated G-d will fulfill all of
your desires. Immediately, G-d
notified Moses of His love for
Israel and said to him: Go make
them flags just as they desired.
Why did the Jews become so

enamored with flags after they

saw the angels banners? Why
did they accept the notion that
simple flags could be construed
as a demonstration of G-ds
love?
We can understand why
each tribe would want to have
its own flag. They had unique
spiritual identities that were
reflected in the colors and images
emblazoned on each flag. But
how should we understand the
need for the four additional
flags?
Why did G-d only bring a
relatively
small
delegation
of angels to Sinai, specifically
22,000? Of what significance
is that number? The Tosafos
commentary explains that the
number of angels corresponded
to the number of Levites
at that time. However, this
explanation itself requires a
further explanation: Why didnt
G-d bring 600,000 angels,
corresponding to the total
number of all the classes of Jews
who were counted and not just
the number of Levites?

THE WORLD OF ANGELS

The following analysis is
partially based on the Chassidic
work, Arugas HaBosem, but first
we need an introduction to the
world of angels and their role in
and relevance to our lives.
An angel, or Malach, which
means messenger, is a spiritual
creature G-d uses to carry
out missions. Angels are not

inanimate instruments like the

forces of nature, which are also
G-ds instruments and in some
instances are also referred to as
angels. A Malach is a spiritual
being whose entire existence is
devoted to getting close to G-d.
Since it has no evil inclination,
it has nothing to distract it from
that goal or even water down its
passion. It is constantly surging
forward, attempting to get
closer. Angels are described in
the Book of Yechezkel as having
the constant movements of ratzo,
advancing to get closer to G-d,
and shov, retreating when they
realize that He is beyond them.
When G-d gave us the Torah,
He appeared with a delegation
of his angels to demonstrate
their passion to us. In doing so,
G-d instilled within us our own
passion for Him and for the
Torah that He gave us. Indeed,
the giving of the Torah at Mount
Sinai, according to our Sages,
was a dramatic expression of the
mutual love between G-d and the
Jewish people.
The Talmud relates that when
G-d gave us the Torah He held
the mountain above our heads
and coerced us to accept it.
Chassidic
teaching
explains
that the mountain that hovered
over our heads actually was an
expression of His profound love,
which compelled us to receive
the Torah. How could we have
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Parsha Thought

They realized that their feelings of closeness to

G-d during the revelation at Mount Sinai would
not endure. When one is exposed to an overwhelming
Divine experience without an opportunity to internalize
it, the experience and inspiration will dissipate. The
people needed a tool that would help them preserve
their inspiration toward G-dliness for posterity.

refused the Torah when it was

given with such love?
By
coming
with
His
angels, G-d reinforced our
understanding of His love for us,
which engendered a reciprocal
love from the people to Him.

CELESTIAL ANIMALS,
ANIMAL SOULS AND
LEVITES
Moreover, angels are also
called animals; they are the
spiritual counterparts and sources
of physical animals and of our
own animal souls. By descending
with His celestial animals G-d
demonstrated His desire for our
animal souls to share the love
with our G-dly souls. When the
animal soul is aware of how the
angels, the celestial animals,
are so passionate for G-d, it too
acquires some of that ardor.
The tribe that was closest to
experiencing this angelic passion
for G-d was the tribe of Levi. The
Levites were made responsible
for, among other tasks, singing
the holy melodies during the daily
services in the Bais HaMikdash.
The Levis service was charged
with incredible spiritual emotion
and generated the angelic ratzo,
advance to get closer to and be
absorbed in the G-dly light.
By bringing 22,000 angels,
G-d instilled within the 22,000
Levites the special passion that

was vouchsafed primarily for that

particular tribe. While the other
tribes had to focus more on the
act of shov, retreating, and by
so doing bring G-ds unity into
the parameters of our world, the
tribe of Levi was commissioned
to inspire and awaken the
hidden love of the other tribes.
Maimonides writes that every
Jew can be a Levite in terms of
their spiritual character. It is just
that members of the tribe of Levi
have it naturally, while everyone
else has to work at it. The Levites
specialized in that mode of
service most of the time while
the rest of the nation did it more
sporadically. Hence the 22,000
Angel instilled their passion into
every Jew vicariously, through
the tribe of Levi.

THE FOUR FLAGS

Passion for G-d alone is
inadequate; it must be coupled
with action. The Torah requires
us to express that passion for
G-d in four areas of service:
Torah study, prayer and the
performance of Mitzvos. The
fourth service dimension is to
serve G-d in all of our ways by
doing everything with a higher
motive and purpose. Each
dimension or area of service had
a unique banner.
Each grouping of tribes
focused its efforts on one of the
four areas represented by these

four banners. Adoption of the

idea of the angels flags implied
that these four dimensions of
service to G-d empowered the
Jewish people with the ability to
study Torah, pray, do Mitzvos
and serve G-d in all of our ways,
instilled with a powerful sense
of celestial angelic love for G-d,
which should permeate even our
animal souls.
This mutual love affair
between G-d and Israel continued
and was strong as long as the
Bais HaMikdash stood and the
Levites performed their unique
musical service in the Temple.
Their heavenly melodies ignited
the heavenly sparks within the
entire Jewish nation. Where can
we find that same passion in our
lives today?

FOR WE ARE WAITING FOR

YOU: WE MUST WANT TO
WANT
To answer this challenge,
we can get our inspiration from
the angels, albeit in a different
fashion.
The word in Hebrew for angel
is malach. This is an acronym
for four Hebrew words Ki
mechakim anachnu lach-For
we are waiting for You, which
appear in the kdusha prayer
recited on Shabbos. These
words describe our longing
to be reunited with G-d in the
future Bais HaMikdash, when
His sovereignty will be revealed
forever and our eyes will perceive
His kingship.
When we examine the
sentences of the kdusha that
precede this phrase, we see
that they discuss the love and
passion for G-d displayed by the
angels. What is the reason for
juxtaposing the love of the angels
with our waiting for the coming
of Moshiach and the rebuilding

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of the Bais HaMikdash?

We now understand that the
role of the angels is to inspire us
with their passion. By extension,
we can understand that in the
present day and age, when we no
longer have the same powerful
experience of the Divine as we
had in the times of the Bais
HaMikdash, we may rely on the
inspiration of the angels to have
the passion for G-ds presence
amongst us restored.
In other words, even when we
dont feel the thirst for G-dliness,
we must, at least, harbor the
sincere desire for restoration
of that feeling of love. We must
want to want to get closer to G-d.
We can now understand the
desire of the Jewish people to

have flags like the angels did.

They realized that their feelings
of closeness to G-d during
the revelation at Mount Sinai
would not endure. When one
is exposed to an overwhelming
Divine experience without an
opportunity to internalize it, the
experience and inspiration will
dissipate. The Jewish people
recognized that the angels
flags would serve them in good
stead. They would be a constant
reminder of the passion for
G-dliness they should generate
even when they were no longer at
Sinai or in the Bais HaMikdash.
The people needed a tool that
would help them preserve their
inspiration toward G-dliness for
posterity.
Thus, the Midrash states,

they desired flags as a constant

reminder of their love for G-d.
The flags would help them
maintain a desire for them to
have that desire. G-d responded
affirmatively and enthusiastically
to their request.
The lesson for our times
is clear. One vestige of our
previous intensity of love for
G-d, even in Galus, is when, at
the very least, we express our
heartfelt pleas for Redemption.
Even if Galus conditions have
desensitized our feelings for the
four areas of service to G-d, we
can salvage ourselves by raising
the flag, the symbol of our
desire for Moshiach, and exclaim
to ourselves and those around us,
We want Moshiach Now!

Continued from page 21

to spread Judaism everywhere.

Regarding the shluchei Chabad
it is fitting to apply the saying of
our Sages in the Midrash Raba:
There is none more beloved
to Hashem than a shliach who
is sent to do a mitzva and is
moser nefesh to be successful
in his shlichus. How fitting
these words are to the Chabad
shluchim, who are undoubtedly
beloved to Hashem for being
moser nefesh to spread Judaism
and to make the name of heaven
beloved all over the world.
Three years ago, on 11
Nissan 5772, R Wosner attended
a Siyum HaRambam which took
place at Yad Eliyahu in Tel Aviv.
In his short speech, he spoke
about the importance of the
Rebbes takana to learn Rambam
daily: This great thing that the
Rebbe did, that we unite in the

study of Rambam, and by doing

so we hasten the coming of
Moshiach. The Rambam begins
with the laws of faith in the
Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah and
ends with faith with the Hilchos
Melachim. That is the uniqueness
of the Rambams work that it
begins and ends with emuna and
it includes all the mitzvos that
pertain nowadays and that do not
pertain nowadays.
In recent years, R Wosners
health declined, but he continued
to be involved in piskei halacha
and leading the public. On
Shushan Purim of this year he
was hospitalized and then shortly
after the onset of Pesach, he
passed away.
His son, R Chaim Meir, was
appointed as his successor as the
rav of Zichron Meir and the head
of R Wosners Beis Horaa.

and the work of the shluchim

around the world. When the
Rebbe announced the mivtza
of writing a Torah for Jewish
children, R Wosner was one
of the first to buy letters for the
children in his family. He also
signed the proclamation of the
gdolei Yisroel who supported
the Rebbes fight against the
Viennese conversions and the
amendment of the law of Who is
a Jew.
During
the
Shloshim
gathering for those slain in the
Chabad House in Bombay, R
Wosner delivered an emotional
phone address. He spoke about
the murder al kiddush Hashem of
the shliach, R Holtzberg, which
brought to the publics attention
how the Rebbes shluchim are
moser nefesh on their shlichus

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

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OBITUARY

THE SHEVET
HALEVI AND
THE ADMOREI
LUBAVITCH
The world-renowned halachic authority Rabbi Shmuel Wosner ztl was in
contact with our Rebbeim. As a youth, he fought for the regular study of
Chassidus in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. * The unique expression that the
Rebbe Rayatz said to the young gaon. * The yechidus in 5736, at the end
of which the Rebbe escorted him outside with great honor.
By Shneur Zalman Berger

he gaon, R Shmuel
Wosner
ztl,
passed
away on the first night
of Pesach at the age of
101 in Eretz Yisroel. He was one
of the pillars of halachic ruling
of our generation with rabbanim
and talmidei chachomim flocking
to his door every day, including
Chabad rabbanim. About 100,000
people attended his funeral, which
took place Motzaei the first day of
Pesach.
What follows are some
milestones in his 101 years which
were replete with Torah and
Chassidus.

YOUNG GENIUS
R Shmuel Wosner, author
of Shevet HaLevi, the Gaon Av
Beis Din of the Zichron Meir
neighborhood of Bnei Brak
and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas
Chachmei Lublin, was born on
2 Elul 5673 in Vienna to his
parents, Yosef Tzvi and Rochel.
He learned in Nitra and
in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin,
headed by the gaon, R Meir
Shapiro.
His
genius
was
recognized in his youth, and in
the years to come he was given
smicha by the gdolim of that
generation.

Apparently, his acquaintance

with Chassidus and Lubavitch
began when he was learning in
Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. R
Shapiro, who was a Chortkover
Chassid, agreed to the study of
Chassidus in his yeshiva only
during the times set aside for
learning Musar. The mashgiach,
R Shimele Zelichover (R
Shimon Engel), who was
a brilliant genius, thought
otherwise. R Shimele who
was greatly attached to sifrei
Chassidus and Kabbala, thought
it important to learn Tanya and
he fought so that the talmidim of
the yeshiva could study Chassidus

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regularly. He even demanded

that the teachings of Chassidus
be incorporated into the shiurim
of Gemara and halacha. He
bequeathed Chassidic behavior to
his students in many areas.
The differing opinions of the
rosh yeshiva and the mashgiach
created a tumult, in the course of
which a large group of talmidim
gathered about the mashgiach
and who went with him through
fire and water. They were called
Shimelistim or Shimonaim. R
Wosner was one of the central
pillars of this unique Chassidic
group, who received a vast
amount in Nigleh, Chassidus,

and Kabbala from the gaon along

with Chassidic conduct.
We can see R Wosners
great esteem for the gaon from
what he wrote many years later,
My teacher and rebbi, the
tremendous gaon, master of the
entire Talmud, before whom
all the paths of revealed and
hidden Torah were illuminated
for him as they were given at
Sinai, R Avrohom Shimon
Engel Horowitz, may his merit
protect us, may Hashem avenge
his blood, of Zelichov (from an
approbation to a new edition of
Miftichei Chochmas HaEmes).
R Meir Shapiro left this

world at a very young age and R

Shimele left the yeshiva during
this period, but he kept in touch
with his close talmidim and
continually encouraged them in
the study of Chassidus. Among
the core nucleus of bachurim
who kept in touch with him were:
R Wosner, R Boruch Shimon
Schneersohn, R Yitzchok Flakser
and R Pinchas Hirschprung.

CONNECTION WITH THE

REBBE RAYATZ
At the end of the winter of
5695, the Rebbe Rayatz was in
the resort town of Purkersdorf

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Obituary
he set a time every day to learn
Chassidus with the distinguished
talmid, R Shmuel Wosner, to
learn maamarei Chassidus, easy
ones first. Afterward, Shmuel
should review it to himself two
or three times and R Eliezer
was supposed to write to the
Rebbe about how Shmuel was
progressing.

RAV WOSNER TEACHES

CHASSIDUS

A gathering of rabbanim and talmidim of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin

with the yeshiva in the background

He came to me with the tfillin, hoping I would

solve the enigma. I examined the tfillin and saw
that they were particularly nice. But it was clear to me
that if the Rebbe kept saying to check them, they were
not kosher.
near Vienna, and shortly after he
also visited Vienna. At this time,
R Wosner visited the Rebbe.
When he had yechidus he
spoke about his teacher, R
Shimele Zelichover. The Rebbe
said in response, For several
hundred years, there wasnt in the
world a mind with a memory like
that of R Shimele of Zelichov.
It is said that when R Wosner
and his friends of that time
received a prize for excellence in
their learning, they went to the
Rebbe Rayatz for his blessing.
The Rebbe showed them pictures
of bachurim learning Torah with
mesirus nefesh in Russia and said
they needed to learn from their
mesirus nefesh. After the Rebbe
Rayatz returned to his home in

Warsaw, he sent a letter to R

Wosner with instructions for
bein hazmanim (intersession)
at which time he would be with
his parents in Vienna. In that
letter the Rebbe instructed him
to review maamarei Chassidus by
heart like a sermon delivered to
the public.
The Rebbe told him to meet
with other yeshiva bachurim over
Pesach and to talk with them in
divrei Torah and Chassidus.
That same day, 13 Nissan,
the Rebbe sent another letter to
R Eliezer Breuer (see sidebar)
and apologized for not being able
to speak to him before leaving
about the systematic order of
learning maamarei Chassidus,
and how it would be good if

In Nissan 1937, R Wosner

married his wife Rivka. In the
years to come she joined him for
yechidus with the Rebbe Rayatz.
After he married, he lived
in Pressburg, where his in-laws
lived. He was very close with the
gaon, R Akiva Sofer, author of
Shevet Sofer, who lived there at
the time. In Pressburg he taught
Tanya to talmidim, most of them
from the yeshiva in Unsdorf
and who were inclined toward
Chassidus.
After several members of the
shiur went to the Rebbe to accept
the Rebbes leadership, the Rebbe
wrote to R Wosner, Yesterday I
had by me R Yitzchok, brotherin-law of R Moshe who was by
me the week before, and also
by me was his brother-in-law
Mr. Avrohom Yehuda [Gelber,
brother of R Wosners wife] and
one more who did not tell me his
name, whose father is the one
who expressed interest in the
organization Yesodei HaTorah.
The Rebbe then wrote to R
Wosner that those who want
to be mekushar to Chabad
Chassidus should know what is
the inyan of a Chassid according
to the teachings of Chabad
Chassidus, and what is the inyan
of a mekushar according to the
teachings of Chabad Chassidus
and the title mekushar
according to the teachings of

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Chabad Chassidus; the inyan

of hiskashrus is by establishing
regular times to learn Chassidus

If they want to be on the

list of mekusharim and want
to fulfill the aforementioned,
please set a time if possible
on weekdays too, and especially
on Shabbos to learn divrei
Elokim chayim, Chassidus, and
give them guidance in what they
should learn among themselves,
especially in reading the sichos.
In other words, R Wosner was
supposed to be their mashpia
to guide them in the study of
Chassidus.
The letter ended with an
instruction for R Wosner, May
Hashem help you with what you
need, materially and spiritually,
you should learn Chassidus
diligently and with proper indepth analysis, and also try to
spend time on tfilla, an hour or
two, to contemplate the greatness
of G-d and be inspired with
middos in the heart to love and
fear Him, and may Hashem be
of help to you materially and
spiritually.

DANGER IN MAKING ALIYA

The Nazi regime was gaining
control, and many Jews all
around Europe left home for
distant parts. Britain, which
ruled Eretz Yisroel at the time,
allowed very few Jews to enter
the country. Many opted to sail
on illegal boats and sneak into
the country.
R Wosner decided to board
one of these illegal boats with his
wife, leaving behind his oldest
son with his in-laws for fear of
danger on the journey. Indeed, as
the boat approached the coast of
Eretz Yisroel, it was not allowed
to proceed because of the British
blockade. The boat drifted for
months. At a certain point, the

The Rebbe Rayatz in a resort town

R WOSNERS FRIEND WITH WHOM HE LEARNED CHASSIDUS

In the article it tells of a letter that the Rebbe Rayatz sent to my
friend, Eliezer, and on the bottom of the page it says that the letter was
addressed to Eliezer Breuer of Vienna. When I worked on this article, I
wanted to know who it was that learned Chassidus in Vienna and who
was told to teach Chassidus to Shmuel Wosner. I discovered that Eliezer
Breuer was one of the distinguished Torah scholars and communal figures
in Vienna. R Breuer was considered a genius and he headed a religious
youth organization in Vienna. One of his students in this organization was
Shmuel Wosner. R Breuer merited to spend time with the Rebbe Rayatz
and received letters from him.
R Breuer was a young man when he was told to learn with R Wosner.
Unfortunately, we have no information about their learning. It seems he
did learn with him, as the Rebbe told him to do. In addition it should be
noted that from R Wosners memoirs it turns out that for a period of time
he had a study session with R Breuer to learn tractate Yevamos at three in
the morning.
In R Wosners approbation to Siach Eliezer, chiddushim of R Breuer,
he wrote about him as outstanding in Torah and yira, a man of truth who
pursued tzdaka and chesed. Being a childhood friend, I well knew of his
enormous diligence, day and night, in Torah study. He merited to complete
Shas Bavli and Yerushalmi a number of times and did not cease learning
and doing good deeds and serving Hashem through tfilla. He brought
merit to the many in a number of ways...
With the Rebbe Rayatzs blessing, R Breuer moved to Eretz Yisroel. He
arrived for Pesach 1939 and spent Yom Tov with his student and friend, R
Wosner who was living in Yerushalayim at that time.
The Rebbe Rayatz advised him to live in Tel Aviv or its environs
and he settled in Bnei Brak. He later became one of the leaders of the
Chug Chasam Sofer in Bnei Brak and he corresponded in halacha with
distinguished rabbanim and was close with R Wosner and R Yaakov
Landau. While he lived in Bnei Brak he attended the Tanya shiur given by
R Landau. He passed away in 5758.

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Obituary

I once noticed someone who wasnt clear in

these halachos and I told him it was because he
did not study the Ravs Shulchan Aruch. After a while, he
came back to me and said it opened a whole new world
for him.

From right to left: R Yaakov Landau, R Wosner, R Kahaneman

fuel was used up and having no

choice, some of the passengers
jumped into the water and began
swimming to shore. R Wosner
and his wife did so and arrived in
Eretz Yisroel healthy but bereft of
everything.
R Wosner was quickly
welcomed with great esteem
by the rabbanim and gaonim
of
Yerushalayim
and
was
appointed rav of a Yerushalmi
neighborhood and moreh tzedek
of the Eida HaChareidis. He
lived in Yerushalayim for a year
and at this time was even one of
the leaders of the study house
for the study of Yerushalmi in
which scholars gathered daily
to learn the Jerusalem Talmud.
There were great gaonim who
ran the institution including
R Elchonon Yakobovitz, who
during World War I served as rav
in Lubavitch.

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ON THE SIDE
OF THE CHASSIDIM
In 1947, he moved to Bnei
Brak in order to reestablish
Yeshivas
Chachmei
Lublin.
During the war, many of its staff
and students had been killed
while the original magnificent
yeshiva
building
remained
desolate in Lublin. Along with
the founding of the yeshiva, he
was appointed rav of the Zichron
Meir neighborhood, named for
R Meir Shapiro, his beloved and
esteemed rosh yeshiva.
He also founded a Beis
Horaa
where
rabbanim
answered halachic queries to
whoever posed them. They
clarified difficult questions on
various subjects with R Wosner
at their head. Questions from
all over the world came to this
renowned Beis Horaa. For fifty
years, this institution helped
establish a new generation of
rabbanim and halachic experts
who learned from him the
principles of psak halacha. They
are now dispersed all over the
world.
Upon arriving in Bnei Brak,
he became friendly with the
Chabad rav of Bnei Brak, R
Yaakov Landau. The two worked
together on halachic matters and
matters of the public welfare in
the city which eventually became
ultra-Orthodox.
After the passing of R Yaakov
Landau, he supported the
appointment of the latters son
R Moshe Landau as successor
to his father. This was despite
the fact that certain entities in
Bnei Brak fought maliciously
against this. He stood alongside
the Chassidim even when he was
persecuted for doing so.
R Wosners nephew, R
Shlomo Gelber, who taught
in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin

R Wosner speaking at the national Mishna contest

THE POSEK
R Wosners vast knowledge along with his exacting discernment in
medical and technical matters led many rabbanim and Torah scholars from
around the world to ask him halachic queries on complicated halachic
topics. Some questions were of life and death matters.
Here is a story that occurred when I was a child, which I heard many
years later. When my mother was pregnant with one of my sisters, she
suddenly came down with rubella (German measles) which endangered
the health of mother and baby. The doctors insisted she terminate the
pregnancy. My parents turned to rabbanim but they were afraid to pasken
under the complicated circumstances.
Details of the problem were presented to R Wosner who paskened
firmly that despite the doctors opinion, it was clear to him that there was
no danger. He stressed that over many years he had paskened in these
matters and I never failed. He asked for my mothers name and her
mothers name so he could pray for her. Well, this time too, R Wosner
did not fail and my sister was born healthy and grew up to have a beautiful
Chassidishe family of her own.
in Bnei Brak, told about R
Wosners attitude toward the
Shulchan Aruch HaRav:
One time, when talking with
bachurim who were learning the
laws of blessings on fruits, he
told them to learn the Shulchan
Aruch HaRav. R Wosner said,
I once noticed someone who
wasnt clear in these halachos
and I told him it was because he
did not study the Ravs Shulchan

Aruch. After a while, he came

back to me and said it opened a
whole new world for him.

VISITING THE REBBE

R Wosner had a special
relationship with the Rebbe
MHM. In Sivan 5736/1976,
he had yechidus with the Rebbe
along with his escorts. At a
certain point, R Wosner asked

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Obituary

REVEALING THE REBBES DIVINE SIGHT

The following story was heard by R Bentzion
Vishedsky, director of Oholei Torah in Kfar Chabad,
from R Wosner:
It was in the 1960s, and one day a Lubavitcher
Chassid came to my house. His son had recently become
bar mitzva and at the same time began suffering health
problems. Even after consulting with doctors, they were
unable to get to the source of the problem. The various
treatments given by the doctors did not help and so the
Chassid had turned to the Rebbe.
The Rebbes answer was: check the tfillin. Although
these were new tfillin that were bought from a good
scribe who was an outstanding yerei Shamayim, and
one could still smell the fragrance of new leather, the
Chassid did not hesitate but gave them in to be checked
by an expert scribe in Bnei Brak. He explained to
him the urgency of the matter, and that same day the
sofer called with the results: Everything is perfect, nice
parshiyos, kosher lmehadrin.
I wasnt surprised, the Chassid said to me.
Although the scribe is not of my khilla, I checked him
out and his reputation is excellent. I also paid him well
and did not expect any other results.
More time elapsed, during which the boys problems
continued to bother him. They were at a loss as to what
to do. They had even asked the Rebbe already, so what
else could be done? One week followed another and
the disturbing problems gave the family no respite. The
Chassid decided to ask the Rebbe again. He described
his young sons ailment and the fact that they had
checked the tfillin which had been found to be kosher
and beautiful.
The next day he received a two word answer from
the Rebbe: check tfillin. What could this be about? He
looked for another expert scribe, the emphasis this time
on expert. He even told me the name of the scribe
who is well known. In addition to his expertise as a
scribe, he is also a great Torah scholar. He brought the
tfillin to him and begged him to find the problem.
After a few hours, the scribe reported, I checked
every letter and crown, I went over the parshiyos three
times. Theyre amazing, beautiful tfillin. I looked with
all my might for at least one psul that is lchatchilla, i.e.
an invalidation that does not render them unfit after the
fact, where you can still say the blessing but something
is lacking in its beauty and thus is not lchatchilla. But
I must confess that I did not find anything like that.
The Chassid immediately wrote a third letter to the
Rebbe. He described the scribes expertise and the fact

that he is a great Torah scholar and he repeated exactly

what the scribe told him. He ended his short letter
expressing his helplessness and asked for a bracha once
again.
The next day, the Chassid received this answer:
Check the tfillin. Consult with a rav in your town.
He came to me after having given the tfillin to a third
expert scribe. He, like his predecessors, tried hard to
find a problem but he also concluded that the tfillin
were kosher lmehadrin.
He came to me with the tfillin, hoping I would
solve the enigma. I examined the tfillin and saw that
they were particularly nice. But it was clear to me that
if the Rebbe kept saying to check them that there was
something that was still problematic.
After much thought, I asked for the sofer who had
written the parshiyos to come to me. When he came
to my house I saw a G-d fearing person. I asked him
to tell me about his work, when he began, who taught
him, and so on. After a long conversation, he said that
he was particular about immersing in a mikva whenever
he sat down to write parshiyos of tfillin or mezuzos.
Since he had mentioned earlier where he lived
and at that time there was no mikva in the area, I
asked him how he managed. He told me the following
extraordinary thing:
Since my immersing before writing the parshiyos
has to do with writing Hashems name, and since it is
hard for me to get to a mikva, I developed a practice
of writing the full text without Hashems name, leaving
an empty space to fill in later. Then, when I have an
opportunity to go to the mikva, I go back and fill in the
blank spaces with Hashems name.
The fright that overcame me, along with the oy
vey that I blurted out impulsively, let the innocent
scribe know that something serious had happened. I
told him that the parshiyos of the son of that Chassid as
well as all the parshiyos that he had ever written, were
invalid even bdiaved (each word of the tfillin must be
written in the correct order). I told him that he had to
call all his customers and tell them, in my name, not to
use those tfillin anymore. And he had to immediately
stop working as a scribe until he relearned all the laws
of safrus and became expert in them.
The Rebbe, in his righteousness, saw that the tfillin
were pasul and I was happy that I had the merit to
discover the source of the problem and to save all past
and future customers of this scribe.

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his escorts to leave him alone

with the Rebbe and they spoke
for three quarters of an hour.
These are some tidbits from that
yechidus as related in Shemen
Sasson Meichaveirecha:
When R Wosner arrived,
the Rebbe showed a rare level of
endearment to him and the entire
conversation was conducted in
a manner of closeness and great
love. The Rebbe told him that the
role of a rav in Israel nowadays is
to implant in the nation that there
is someone who runs this world.
They also discussed chinuch in
the course of which the verse
Torah tziva morasha was
mentioned, and from there the
conversation segued into the laws
of inheritance.
When the yechidus ended, the
Rebbe escorted him out with great
honor. In the car, R Wosner said
in amazement, That the Rebbes
bekius (encyclopedic knowledge
of Torah) is incredible, for that I
was prepared since thats famous;
but his amazing depth, that I did
not approximate.
R Wosner said that he told
the Rebbe something in the name
of the Maharsha and the Rebbe
said, I dont think there is such
a Maharsha. After the yechidus,
he looked for the Maharsha and
found it and was very happy, but
when he examined what it said he
saw that it meant something else
entirely and that the Rebbe was
right.
In this yechidus, he had said
he would send the Rebbe his
sfarim, Shevet HaLevi and he did
so. The Rebbe responded with a
letter of thanks and blessed him
that he increase his strength in
Torah and asked him to promote
the study of halacha, especially by
those who only learned Gemara
and were not involved in the
study of practical halacha. In the
margin of the letter, the Rebbe

R Wosner peaking at a Siyum HaRambam three years ago

wrote comments and citations for

the Shevet HaLevi.
R Wosner once said to R
Yekusiel Farkash that during
the yechidus with the Rebbe, he
spoke about a certain shochet
who was caught with a television
in his house. Since a shochet
needs to be G-d fearing, the
question was posed to R Wosner
whether he should be terminated
from his position.
R Wosner said that someone
who owns a television is not in
the category of a yerei Shamayim
and he should be fired. The
Rebbe disagreed, saying that
although having a television is
completely intolerable, still, in
the US, it was not an indication
about a persons yiras Shamayim.
In one of the comments that
the Rebbe wrote in the margin,
he referred to this and said this
was true for other countries
too, and although there needed
to be a warning and much more
than a warning, there is room
for concern that (according to
the laws of nature) a significant
portion of the public is not careful
with this, and therefore it was
questionable if it was appropriate
to speak of this in terms of an

actual decree or prohibition etc.

PRAISING
THE REBBES TAKANOS
R Wosner often praised the
Rebbes takanos (enactments)
Continued on page 13
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MOSHIACH & GEULA

WEVE
DONE THIS
BEFORE
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

he
Torah
describes
at length the story of
Yetzias Mitzrayim, the
preparation for Mattan
Torah, Mattan Torah itself, and
the vicissitudes of the lives of Bnei
Yisroel in the desert. We all know
that the Torah is not a history book;
rather, it is a lesson for our current
lives. When we find ourselves in
a difficult situation, we can, and
always should, look at the Torah
for guidance.
This is especially relevant
regarding the story of Yetzias
Mitzrayim. Leaving Galus
and the Galus mentality is not
easy. It is a process that starts in
our minds and hearts (through
learning about Moshiach) and
then extends to our lives, our
families, communities and the
entire world. Its a journey that is
going to have its challenges and
we must be ready for them.
This is not the first Geula;
Yetzias Mitzrayim was the first
one. The Torah describes in great
detail the exodus from Egypt, so
that we should not commit the
same mistakes and we should
learn from the past so that we can
reach the future. Our generation
is the reincarnation of the souls
of the Jewish people that left
Mitzrayim, so we are especially
empowered to learn from their

redemption.
While it is a comfort to know
that this was done before
and that the map has already
been drawn, it also comes with
a responsibility. We are not
afforded the luxury of saying it
was a first time mistake. We are
not reinventing the wheel. We
will be held accountable.
[One of the people that I
would visit on Mivtzaim (the
CEO of a big company) once told
me: I allow my workers to make
many mistakes, as long as they
do not make the same mistake
twice!]
One of the challenges that we
are facing is the obvious feeling
of abandonment. From 28
Nissan 5751, the Rebbe taught us
week after week how to prepare
for Moshiach and to anticipate
the arrival of Moshiach. Yet,
just as it felt like we reached the
grand finale, the Rebbe stops
teaching (27 Adar 5752) and
then after 3 Tammuz 5754 starts
the current test of concealment.
Is this the way forward to Geula?
Is it a step backward chv? How
are we, as Chassidim, to deal
with this? And most importantly,
how does the Rebbe want us to
deal with it?
Let us review our blue-print,

the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Gemara (Shabbos 86b)
tells us a detailed description of
the final preparations to Mattan
Torah:
On Monday Hashem said
to them, and you shall be unto
me a kingdom of priests; on
Tuesday he informed them of
the order to set boundaries, and
on Wednesday they separated
themselves [from their wives].
But the Rabbis hold: the New
Moon was fixed on Monday,and
on that day he said nothing
to them
on account of the
exhaustion from the journey.
It seems ironic, just as the
Jews were about to receive the
Torah, Moshe stops teaching
them?! To say that it was
just because of their physical
exhaustion, is not befitting
such holy people who were
anxiously anticipating Mattan
Torah. Rather we must say that
having Moshe stop teaching
temporarily is part of the process
of actually receiving the Torah!
Another parallel between
the concealments at the time
of Mattan Torah and the
concealment of our times is the
following: When Moshe finally
goes to receive the Torah, he is
concealed for an extended period

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of time. The concealment is so

great, that many of Klal Yisroel
started to believe that Moshe
passed away and that it was time
for a new leader.
History is repeating itself.
There were concealments in
speech and later on complete
concealments before the giving
of the Torah, as are happening
now before the final redemption.
So the question is, why? Why
did Hashem set redemption
up in such a way that Moshe
stops teaching and needs to be
concealed?
Why did Moshe
have to stop teaching in order
to prepare for the giving of the
Torah?
The Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos
Vol. 28 pg. 7-14) gives a
fascinating explanation: Moshe
Rabbeinu
was
not
giving
the Jewish people a
breakof
their preparations for Mattan
Torah, rather he was giving
them a chance to do the main
preparation for Mattan Torah!
The receiving of the Torah is very
different from the transmission
of any other wisdom. When a
teacher presents a lecture, the
student grasps the intellect of
the teacher. When Hashem
gave the Torah however, he

I allow my employees to make many mistakes,

as long as they do not make the same mistake

twice!

put himself into the Torah,

so that when one learns and
unites with the Torah, he is
uniting with Hashem himself!
How is it possible that a finite
being unite with the infinite
Hashem? This can only happen if
the person nullifies his individual
existence and agendas; only then
can he be a vessel to hold the
infinite. This explains why Moshe
Rabbeinu did not teach the Jews
the Torah on the second of Sivan.
He was giving the Jewish people
the time and opportunity for selfreflection to reach this level of
Bittul, thereby being prepared to
receive the Torah.
With this understanding,
we can explain (of course we
do not want explanations on
concealment... ad masai!?) the
concept of Moshe stopping to
teach in our generation.
In our generation and after
the completion of all forty two
journeys in the wilderness of
the nations, [when] we find
ourselves already by the Yarden

near Yericho (Matos-Massei

5751) there needs to be a special
Avoda. Moshe Rabbeinu of our
generation has to stop speaking/
teaching and there needs to be a
Kabbalas HaMalchus, by the
people.
In the words of the Rebbe
(Mishpatim
5751):
The
appointment of David, the King
Moshiach, has already occurred,
as it says,I have found David My
servant, with My holy oil I have
anointed him. It requires only an
acceptance of his kingship by the
people and a complete revelation
of the attachment between the
king and the people in the true
and perfect Redemption.
At the same time, during
the period that Moshe is not
speaking, the Rebbe (sicha 3
Shvat 5752) tells us that we
have
another
responsibility.
Just as Aharon HaKohen was
themouthpieceof
Moshe
Rabbeinu, the Chassidim have to
be the mouthpiece of the Rebbe,
to give over the sichos and Torah
of the Rebbe and especially his
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MOSHIACH & GEULA

Nevua of Moshiach (Shoftim
5751) to the world!
Now to answer the second
question, why did Mattan Torah
demand a total concealment of
Moshe Rabbeinu that left room
for the Jewish people to think
that he passed away? Why does
there need to be this concealment
of the teacher (which seemingly
is contrary to teaching) before
the great revelation of Torah?
The Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos
Vol. 2 pg. 360) explains and
the explanation goes for the
general concealment of Galus as
well with an interesting parable:
There was once a teacher
that prepared a lesson for his
students. Because of his caring
for his students, he really thought
about and prepared the lesson
in a way that the students would
fully grasp the lesson.
Then, in the middle of the
lesson, the teacher had a Eureka
moment. With this new idea the
teacher feels that he will be able
to develop a whole new approach
of teaching for his students. Yet
the teacher is afraid that if he
does not stop the lesson and go
to a private room to focus on and
develop this novel idea, it will be
lost.
Thus,out of love and carefor
his students, the teacher stops

the lesson and focuses on the

new thought. At that point, the
students may feel abandoned
and lost, yet those students that
realized how much their teacher
loves them and understand that
he would never leave his flock
unattended do not let this
period of isolation disrupt their
connection to their teacher. On
the contrary, they anxiously await
the new revelation which will be
revealed by the teacher on his
return.
The lesson of this analogy
is clear. Mattan Torah was not
just Moshe teaching us another
lesson of Hashems wisdom.
He was receiving a whole new
approach to serving Hashem.
At that point, the barriers that
separated the physical world
from being a vessel for spirituality
were broken. Hashem was giving
over his essence, Anna Nafshi
Kesavis Yehavis, to the Jewish
people. It is understood that to
receive this properly, Moshe had
to be focused on receiving it
and internalizing it properly.
This demanded a separation
and concealment from his
students, the Bnei Yisroel.
The same is true in the times
before Moshiach. Moshiach is
ready to reveal the deepest secrets
of the Torah. With the giving over

of the Torah Chadasha, the

entire world will be transformed
forever. The truth and purpose of
creation will be revealed to all and
felt by all. It will be the ultimate
revelation that Hashem and
the whole creation has been
waitingfor since the inception
of the entire universe. It is clear
that to be ready to give over
such a revelation, there needs
to be a period of focus and
concealment of the teacher.
Yet, we Chassidim must
remain strong! We already
know the script. We know what
happens when one loses faith in
the words of Moshe. The aftereffects of the cheit haeigel are
still felt till this day. We the
Dor HaShvii are the Shevet
Levi and we must remain strong
in our faith in the words and
prophecy of our Rebbe. May we
be zocheh to see the Hisgalus of
the Rebbe, Now!
Kabbalas
HaTorah

and Moshiach Bsimcha

ubipnimius!

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva

of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati
and a well sought after speaker
and lecturer. Recordings of his indepth shiurim on Inyanei Geula
uMoshiach can be accessed at
http://www.ylcrecording.com.

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QUIZ

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974_bm_eng.indd 25

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FEATURE

BEHIND
THE SCENES
OF MODERN
DAY SHMITA
OBSERVANCE

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Marking forty years of Mivtza Kashrus, we had a

fascinating discussion with Rabbi Meir Dovid Bergman,
director of the Department for Mitzvos HaTluyos BAretz
for the Badatz HaEida HaChareidis in Yerushalayim, and
one of the experts in the field. * How did an Arab farmer
try to smuggle bananas? How did a mashgiach discover
the big oranges swindle? Whats the problem with tithed
merchandise in the market? How long do potatoes from
the sixth year last? And how a family of Arab farmers was
discovered to be Jewish!
By Zalman Tzorfati

humorous folktale tells of

a Jew from abroad who
arrives in Eretz Yisroel in
a Shmita year. Before his
trip, one of his friends warns him
that its Shmita and he has to be
extra careful about kashrus and cant
eat just anywhere, even if theres a
hechsher of some kind.
When the man returned home,
he met his friend and told him that
since he wasnt knowledgeable
about types of hechsherim in Eretz
Yisroel, and in order not to get into
problematic situations, he decided
to be stringent and throughout
his stay he only ate fruits and
vegetables.

FOUR YEARS OF SHMITA

Although people abroad are aware
of Shmita, it is mostly theoretical, while
for kosher consumers in Eretz Yisroel,
Shmita is a very complicated year.
It is even more complicated for the
kashrus agencies that are responsible
for supplying fresh, quality, and
kosher products at the highest levels of
kashrus.
The whole subject of stringent
kashrus during Shmita is inseparable
from the mitzva of kashrus and the
Rebbes Mivtza Kashrus, says R
Meir Dovid Bergman. There is a
letter in which the Rebbe responds

to a family that asks for a bracha for

health problems and he says apparently
they were not particular enough about
kashrus in Shmita matters.
R Meir Dovid Bergman runs the
department for the Mitzvos HaTluyos
BAretz for the Eida HaChareidis
kashrus organization.
Naturally, a
significant part of what he does has to
do with Shmita.
For us, Shmita lasts for four
years. It starts with precise tracking
of the produce starting in the fifth
year, in order to prevent a shortage in
the seventh year, and continues deep
into the year following Shmita with

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Feature

One time, one of our mashgichim entered

a large field of pumpkins. As he walked, he
happened to kick a pumpkin which rolled like a ball. He
kicked another one and it also rolled. This aroused his
suspicion. He investigated and found that the grower
had bought pumpkins from a Jewish farmer on the cheap
and scattered them about his field, thinking we wouldnt
notice.
the various types of produce that
are still connected to Shmita and
need special supervision.
When R Bergman talks about
supervision, he refers to the
extensive organizational system
of his department, which includes
advanced technological tools,
surveillance systems, bullet-proof
vehicles, security personnel and
an army of nearly one hundred
mashgichim and supervisors
spread out across the country for

the purpose of bringing the most

kosher fruits and vegetables to
the stores.
I sat facing R Bergman and
he opened his personal computer,
turned on the screen, and took
me on a fascinating trip behind
the scenes of Shmita observance
in Eretz Yisroel. He spouted
data, facts and interesting stories
about the work of the department
he heads.
It turns out that
behind the innocent, finely diced

cucumbers and tomatoes in a

religious Israelis salad, or the
french-fries or even ketchup,
is an entire world of Jews and
Arabs, farmers and rabbanim,
professionals, advanced means
of communication, an operations
and observation room that
looks something like an army
intelligence base, and a lot of
work.
The religious sector has
grown rapidly. When I entered
the field, religious Jews lived
mainly in Bnei Brak and
Yerushalayim. All the religious
cities like Beitar, Modiin Ilit,
Elad, and the religious areas of
Ashdod, Beit Shemesh, did not
exist.
The current estimates
speak about close to a million
and a half kosher consumers
who insist on superior standards
in Eretz Yisroel. This requires
the best kashrus organizations
such as that of R Landau and

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the Badatz Eida HaChareidis, to

constantly upgrade and develop
greater expertise in order to
respond to the demand which
grows from year to year.
Our
department
works
intensively all the time but
especially during a Shmita year.
The three main areas which we
are involved in are separating
trumos and maasros, arla, and
Shmita. Each of these areas,
despite sounding simple, consists
of dozens of details which the
public is not aware of. People
think, what could be a problem
with a tomato? They dont know
how critical it is to be careful
with the kashrus of even fruits
and vegetables.

PROBLEMATIC TRUMA
FROM BLEMISHED
MERCHANDISE
Take for example, the topic

of trumos and maasros. Since

maasros do not go to the Kohen
nowadays, but are destroyed,
the farmers dont tithe from
the regular produce but from
the blemished produce which
cant be sold. In principle, every
delivery from a farmer to the
wholesale market consists of a
box with spoiled merchandise
for maaser. The mashgiach in
the wholesale market takes the
box, tithes from it, and stamps
all the merchandise as tithed.
The problem is that there is no
supervision over where that box
came from.
There could be
many problems. Maybe it was
taken from produce that was
already tithed, or there are parts
of the Arava (valley region that
extends from the Dead Sea all
the way to Eilat) some of which
are considered Eretz Yisroel
and some parts which are not.
If the maaser was taken from

the part not in Eretz Yisroel, or

the farmer happened to gather
up some defective merchandise
from produce that was already
tithed, the entire merchandise is
tevel (produce that has not been
tithed). The prohibition of tevel
is very serious; you cant play
around with it, it is Biblically
derived. So it is important to use
top hechsherim.
We, and R Landaus
hechsher, for example, do not
tithe in the wholesale market. We
tithe at every single store from
the merchandise designated for
sale, after we ascertain that the
maaser is being taken from the
same produce.
When it comes to arla (the
prohibition
against
eating
the fruits of the first three
years growth), its even more
complicated. The modern ways
of growing things make it very
hard to track those trees that
are halachically considered to
be in their first years of growth.
Trees that come ready from
the nursery or that are given
various injections to speed up the
growth, present a slew of halachic
problems.
An entire section of the
presentation is devoted to arla.
You see, he said, pointing at
a picture which looks like an
apple tree laden with fruit. Its
full of fruit like an older tree but
it is only two years old. Only
an agronomic inspection can
discover this. Now, picture this
tree in an orchard of older trees.
Under the standard kashrus
supervisions they suffice with
sample checking, examining a
tree here and a tree there. If its
okay, they declare the entire
section kosher. There are poskim
who are lenient but we dont rely
on this. At the Eida HaChareidis
and R Landau, there are expert
agronomists who go from tree to

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Feature

High-tech mashgiach mobile

tree, checking each one. When

they find a new tree, it is marked
with a tag and our mashgiach
destroys what it produces as long
as its arla.

HALF A TREE ORLA AND

HALF A TREE KOSHER
In the next picture he shows
me, I see a pomegranate tree.
Do you see something unusual
here? he asks me. I dont
notice anything except for some
branches coming out of the
ground with pomegranates on
them.
A pomegranate tree has
the tendency to grow branches
down into the ground which then
sprout back up from the earth.
That is considered new growth.
Here (he points), these three
branches on the tree are kosher
while the fruit on this branch is
arla.
Another widespread problem
is everything associated with
transferring things from the
nursery to the field.
There
are poskim who consider the
period in which the tree is in the
nursery as counting toward arla
under specific circumstances.
However, for the most part, there

Measuring with a licensed land surveyor

is no supervision to see that these

conditions are met. Moreover,
these are complicated dinim and
the owners of the nurseries dont
necessarily know how to do it
right. This is why, at superior
kashrus agencies, we do not
count the period of growth at
the nursery; instead, we start
counting the age of the tree from
when it is planted in the orchard.
The wax which coats the
apples is something we have to
look out for. Usually, this wax
is produced from the secretions
of various insects. The average
kashrus agencies rely on lenient
views in the poskim which allow
the use of insect secretions. At
superior kashrus agencies, we are
particular about using artificial
wax which is manufactured out
of kosher materials.
***
For us, Shmita lasts four
years.
You cannot make it
through Shmita without exacting
and detailed planning several
years prior. We start setting up
our systems two years before
Shmita and still, the agricultural
market is so volatile that in the
end, it all depends on siyata
dShmaya (heavenly assistance).
Throughout Shmita we see

miracles and wonders.

Two
shmitos ago, for example, we
prepared everything two years
in advance, we closed deals
with farmers in the Gaza Strip
who were going to supply us
with most of the merchandise
during Shmita. We were all set
with the supervisory system
and everything was arranged.
On Rosh HaShana, the second
Intifada began and the crossings
to Gaza were completely sealed.
All business deals were off.
But Hashem did not abandon
those who observe Shmita and
suddenly another unexpected
avenue opened and we were able
to arrange produce throughout
that Shmita year.
The advance preparations
begin in the fifth year when
Badatz representatives, together
with the farmers, develop a plan
for the crops of the upcoming
year for the purpose of increasing
the yield of the sixth year as
much as possible. The produce
of the sixth year is generally
used for industrial food products
like flour, spices, canned goods,
juices, etc., while the produce of
the seventh year is used as fresh
produce.

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Measuring with a licensed land surveyor

FOOD PRESERVATION
In the sixth year, we also
prepare a big stock of hard
vegetables like carrots, potatoes,
and onions. With the proper
refrigeration conditions, some
of it can last for half a year and
more. So during the first half of
the Shmita year, when it comes
to hard vegetables, we can still
supply produce from the sixth
year.
Four main possibilities are
open to the consumer who
wants strictly kosher fruits and
vegetables during the Shmita
year: produce from the sixth
year, produce from outside
Eretz Yisroel, gentile produce,
and Otzar Beis Din produce.
Produce from the sixth year is
just that, produce grown in the
sixth year. Produce from abroad
comes from various countries and
from parts of the Arava and Eilat
which are not halachically part of
Eretz Yisroel. Gentile produce
is the produce that resulted from
the work of a goy and which
grew on land that belongs to a
goy. Otzar Beis Din is produce
that grew in the seventh year and
ownership was transferred to beis
din. These fruits and vegetables
cannot be sold in the usual way;

Checking validity of land claim deeds

only as part of defraying the

costs, i.e. the payment is not for
the fruit itself but for the costs of
packing and distribution. The
produce from Otzar Beis din has
the sanctity of Shmita and must
be treated accordingly.
The
Badatz
HaEida
HaChareidis does not deal with
this fourth category. Otzar Beis
Din consists of so many details
and we cannot guarantee that
the customer will treat it with
the proper sanctity, so we simply
dont deal with it.
The best option, we think, is
produce of the sixth year. When
that gets used up, we try to
import produce. The last choice
is gentile produce.

THE ARAB FARMER

WHO TURNED OUT
TO BE JEWISH
Although gentile produce is
the last choice, most of the efforts
of the department are in this area.
There are three main challenges
when it comes to gentile produce.
The first is to check that the land
is actually owned by a gentile.
The second is to check that
the farmer is actually a gentile.
Third, close supervision in order

to avoid fraud.
Checking out the ownership
of the land is sometimes a
complicated business, says R
Bergman. We have a special
team that deals with this. We
check the old Turkish land
registry (Tabo) and ancient
registries. Sometimes, its an
ancient deed and then we need to
verify and crosscheck the facts.
We once signed with an
Arab who claimed the land was
his. But when we checked, we
discovered that just weeks before,
his land had been appropriated
by the government who wanted
to make a highway there. The
highway is still in the planning
stages and will only be paved in
a few years. Throughout these
years, the farmer continues to
work the land as usual, but the
land actually belongs to the
government.
Or, for example, land
owned by a gentile woman which
reached up to the road. We
discovered that the area of the
road which belongs to the council
is actually much wider than the
paved part. We took precise
measurements and disqualified
all the rows close to the road.
One time, we signed an

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Feature
agreement with a family from
Chevron.
They are a large
family of farmers that grows a
wide variety of vegetables. We
discovered that the mother of the
family is Jewish who converted to
Islam years ago. All the farmers
we negotiated with were Jews.
This is why all these things
require careful and professional
checking.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE
SERVICE OF KASHRUS
Another problematic area
which R Bergman and the
supervisory crew contend with
on a daily basis is attempts at
trickery.
Im not going to generalize,
but some of the Arab farmers
or merchants show a tendency
towards trying to play tricks,
says R Bergman cautiously.
One time, one of our
mashgichim entered a large field
of pumpkins. As he walked, he
happened to kick a pumpkin
which rolled like a ball. He kicked
another one and it also rolled.
This aroused his suspicion. He
investigated and found that the
grower had bought pumpkins
from a Jewish farmer on the
cheap and scattered them about
his field, thinking we wouldnt
notice.
In another instance, a
mashgiach entered a banana
orchard. He went deep inside
and noticed a large number of
banana clusters covered in mud.
Once again, it turned out that
they had been brought from
somewhere else. The mashgiach
disqualified the entire field and
at that time, there was a Badatz
banana shortage. Since then, by
the way, we put a seal on every
bunch separately while its still on
the tree.
In another instance, a

mashgiach entered an orange

grove and noticed piles of
oranges that had seemingly been
plucked right there. But with his
sharp eye he noticed that the type
of orange in the crates was not
the same as the oranges in the
field. He disqualified the whole
batch.
Whenever we catch and
disqualify produce, we are also
indirectly teaching the farmers
that fraud does not pay.
Our team of mashgichim
and supervisors go out every day.
Sometimes they are in sensitive
areas from a security standpoint.
We send along an armed security
guard with every mashgiach. We
also have armored vehicles for
the mashgichim. In addition,
as the Rebbe taught us to use
technology for holy purposes, we
also try to use the most advanced
technology to protect kashrus.
When R Bergman speaks
about technology, he is talking
about an array of technological
aids that his department uses.
See here, this is a kosher
Smartphone which is approved
by the vaad of rabbanim for
communications devices.
It
is connected to a GPS. When
a mashgiach goes out to the
field, the satellite immediately
triangulates the exact spot
and sends all the pertinent
information about the location.
Afterward, the mashgiach enters
the relevant data and it is all
immediately updated at a central
database.
The farmers are given a
small camera which they must
wear all day. This camera sends
a live feed via internet to the
oversight center. We also use
cameras attached to hovercraft
that transmit the images online
on a regular basis to the control
and oversight center of the Eida
HaChareidis.

The control center is located

in a large office in Yerushalayim.
Photos of what is happening
in the fields are constantly
appearing on giant screens.
One time, we noticed via the
cameras, that one of the farmers
was bringing into his field
cartons that were a color slightly
different than the cartons in
which he packed his produce. At
that time, the price of mehadrin
cherry tomatoes was up to fifteen
shekels a kilogram versus the
tomatoes from the heter mechira
which cost a third of that. The
farmer thought hed be smart
and he bought a lot of cherry
tomatoes from Eretz Yisroel and
thought hed sell them as his own
merchandise at the higher price.
We caught him with the cameras
when he tried to smuggle in the
merchandise.

HECHSHERIM THAT ARE

MEHUDARIM
I asked whether he had a
problem supporting Arab farmers
in Eretz Yisroel. He said, Its a
problem and we do it only when
theres no choice. We really
try to use that as a last resort.
Even when we work with gentile
produce, we have an order of
priorities. We have a lot of Druze
or Bedouin farmers in the Galil
and the Negev. Then we look for
farmers in the quiet areas that
are not considered hostile. Its
only when we have no choice
that we enter deep into Chevron,
Shchem, etc.
To conclude, I asked what
is the difference between the
superior kashrus agencies of
Badatz Eidah HaChareidis and R
Landau as compared to the other
kashrus agencies. He said:
Although one doesnt wish to
go about tooting ones own horn
there are essential differences.

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The first is in the area of halachic

standards and the second is with
regard to supervision.
There are often differences
of opinion between poskim
about certain cases. When its
a dispute, we always pasken
stringently. Even if there are
prominent poskim who are
lenient, we pasken according to
the stringent poskim. Under the
regular hechsherim, they pasken
leniently whenever possible.
As far as the hashgacha
itself, sometimes people say
to me, It said yevul nochri
(gentile produce) or yevul chutz
laAretz (diaspora produce) and
thats just like saying kosher.
Thats ridiculous.
No G-d
fearing person would suffice
with the word kosher and even
kosher lmehadrin without a

serious organization that stands

behind it.
Even when it says yevul
chutz laAretz or yevul nochri,
the question is, says
who? How much is
the kashrus agency
supervising? To what
extent do they rely on
the farmer? How many
mashgichim are there
in the area?
We have nearly a
hundred staff members
when
comparable
departments
in
agencies
that
are
less particular hire
less than a third that
number. That means
the supervision must
perforce be intermittent
which allows room for

errors. This is why I tell whoever

asks me, to only use hechsherim
that are superior even for fruits
and vegetables.

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TZIVOS HASHEM

LEAR NING

TO LIVE
By D Chaim

Shmuuuely,
Meeeendy,
Yoooossi, Chaaaaim, Doooovid,
hey, is anyone here? Why
up?
opening
you
arent
Shloimy knocked on the door
of the basement as he called
his friends names one by one.
Nobody responded.
It was Rosh Chodesh and
learning ended at twelve noon.
that
remembered
Shloimy
Yossi had told him they were
meeting that day at 1:00. Now
it was 1:05. It wasnt like Yossi
and the other guys to be late,
so why werent they opening
the door?
After a long wait, Shloimy
decided to knock at Yossis
house. He lived in the next
building.
Hello Shloimy, said Yossis
father with a smile. You are,
no doubt, looking for Yossi. He
said to tell you that they went
to live.
What? They went to the
library? How will I get there, it
takes at least half an hour...
library,
the
not
No,
said
He
clarified Yossis father.
didnt
I
live.
they were going to
understand him either, but he
said its your code or something
secret like that.
Shloimy realized that Yossis
father could not explain the

cryptic message Yossi tried to going.

Shloimy cheered up. For a
convey, so he just smiled and
you.
thank
okay,
said, Uh,
long time he had planned on
and
Yossis father closed the door visiting the space museum
go.
finally
could
as he said quietly to himself, now he
Why did you come back
Ive been keeping track and
hes the fourth; there is one home? asked Dovy on their
friend left.
way to the museum. And why
you
Shloimys thoughts raced: were you so grumpy when
in?
walked
What happened to them?
Never mind, said Shloimy,
Where could they have gone?
the
We arranged to meet at
but maybe you know what it
the
basement! They changed
means to go to live?
plan and didnt inform me; is
I like riddles, said Dovy as
that how friends behave?
he rubbed his forehead, but I
and
ointed
disapp
He was
think this was an attempt to
even a little hurt.
convey a message.
Never mind, I dont need
Hey, take a look at that
them. Ill manage on my own.
exhibit on the right, said Dovy
the
When he arrived home, he as they strolled through
clothes
the
are
Those
m.
museu
was greeted by a happy faced
space.
Dovy, his younger brother by an astronaut wears in

heavy.
look
They
one year.
Dont you know that in
Shloimy, its good you
unlike on earth, there is
space,
this
for
came. I have a plan
any gravity? The weight
hardly
afternoon!
astronaut including the
the
of
Yes, what is it this time?
spacesuit is not even
special
asked Shloimy in an inimical
the weight of an average sized
way.
person here on earth! said
Hey, what happened? If you Shloimy sagely.
dont want to, you dont have
And there certainly isnt
to come, but I got two tickets
oxygen like we have here and
to the space museum.
who knows what else. Over
Really? Shloimy jumped there the living conditions
up excitedly. What a terrific are
different,
completely
brother you are! Of course Im

34 26 Iyar 5775
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2015-05-18 11:59:48 PM

exclaimed Dovy.
they manage?

How

do

interesting.
really
Its
Maybe we can try and ask one
of the guides here, suggested
Shloimy. He turned to a young,
smiling person who had a tag
which said guide clipped
to his pocket and asked his
questions.
Astronauts spend a long time
training; its very difficult, said
the guide. They use special
devices which mimic conditions
in space and get used to the
new life they will lead while
in space. Look, in that exhibit
over there, you will be able
to see part of their training
equipment.
Shloimy and Dovy walked
over to what the guide had
pointed at. The apparatus
fascinated them so that they
did not notice what was going
on around them. There were
various machines and devices
in all different colors and they
looked like spaceships.
Im imagining the astronaut
getting used to life in space,
said Dovy. He probably
already forgot normal life
and feels as though he is
already in space.
really
its
But
hard, said Shloimy.
The training isnt
easy. But the more
training he gets,
the
sooner
the
people at the space
center can set a
date for take-off.
astronauts
The
cant wait to go!
Shloimy read this
off a sign on the
wall.
was
Dovy

thoughtful. What did you

ask me on the way to the
museum? He asked suddenly.
Uh, what does it mean to
go to live, but what reminded
you of that now? asked
Shloimy disinterestedly.
you
dont
What
Dovy
asked
understand?
excitedly. I think I solved the
riddle!
Really? What?
For the astronaut whose
entire life is devoted to living
off of earth, real life is over
there, in outer space. What
does he do in order to live
there? He studies and gets used
to conditions in space with the
help of training on machines
that give him an opportunity to
simulate life there.
And we? continued Dovy.
Our real life is in the Geula.
Thats why the Rebbe says that
now, in the final moments of
galus, we need to feel that the
to
about
Geula is
occur

and we have to start living

a Geula life. What do we need
to do to get used to it? Just
like the astronauts, we need to
study about Geula.
The Torah gives us the
ability to live by learning it.
The same is true for learning
inyanei Moshiach and Geula. It
gives us the strength to escape
the limitations of galus already
now, to live a life of Geula and
to feel that its really imminent.
This is what will make it
actually occur.
mumbled
it,
Thats
Thats
ment.
Shloimy in amaze
live,
to
went
They
the answer.
in
shiur
a
to
went
means they
Geula.
and
ch
inyanei Moshia
Dovy, you are a genius!
Applause could suddenly be
heard and Shloimy was taken
aback, but he quickly recovered
when he saw the happy
faces of his friends who were
standing around with their
brothers. Then Yossis loud voice
was heard saying, My dear
friends, I am happy that my
fathers original plan succeeded
beyond all expectations and
we all got to understand the
importance of learning inyanei
Moshiach and Geula in this
original way. Dont think
it was easy. It was hard
convincing your brothers
to tell you about the
tickets they got. Now
that they managed
to solve the riddle,
the answer to which
I told them ahead of
time, of course, I am
pleased to announce
the founding of a
shiur on Moshiach and
Geula for the children
of our neighborhood
beautiful
our
in
basement!

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