1003

CONTENTS
14
8
FEATURED ARTICLES
WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
13 Hakhel & Moshiach
18 Parsha Thought
22 Bitachon Bytes
34 Tzivos Hashem
CHOOSE LIFE!
Rabbi Nachman Twersky
MIRACLE RESCUE
14 THE
AT THE MEORAS
HAMACHPEILA
Menachem Ziegelboim
YEARS OF
24 FORTY
FRIENDSHIP WITH THE
REBBE
Refael Dinari
TO TEACH
30 HOW
CHASSIDUS TO THE
PUBLIC AT LARGE
R Meir Arad
Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content

and Kashruth of the advertisements.
22
744 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409
1003_bm_eng NEW.indd 4
Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272

is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only
once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown
Heights. USA $180.00. All other places for $195.00
per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern
Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals
postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional
offices. Postmaster: send address changes to
Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
11213-3409. Copyright 2016 by Beis Moshiach, Inc.
Tel: (718) 778-8000

Fax: (718) 778-0800
admin@beismoshiach.org
www.beismoshiach.org
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
M.M. Hendel
HEBREW EDITOR:
Rabbi S.Y. Chazan
editorH@beismoshiach.org
ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
editor@beismoshiach.org
1/5/2016 8:38:48 AM
DVAR MALCHUS
BASI LGANI 5716

Beis Moshiach presents the maamer the
Rebbe MHM delivered on Yud Shvat 5716,
in accordance with the custom established
by the Rebbe to review each year a
section of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer
Basi LGani of 5710. This year we focus
on the sixth section of the profound and
foundational Chassidic discourse. * Eighth
and final instalment.
By Boruch Merkur
THE PRAYER OF THE POOR MAN

TAKES PRECEDENCE
9. My revered father in-law, the Rebbe,
continues in the maamer to explore the concept
of tfilla in greater detail: With this we will
understand what is written, A prayer to Dovid:
Incline Your ear, O G-d; answer me, for I am poor
and I am destitute. A prayer to Dovid signifies the
devotion and bittul of Malchus (insofar as Dovid
served as the chariot the earthly vehicle to
the Sfira of Malchus). Dovid HaMelechs prayer
and request is on behalf of the entire Jewish people,
for the sake of Knesses Yisroel. The powerfully
compelling nature of Dovids prayer, whereby he
beseeches G-d to Incline Your ear and answer
me, is on account of Dovid HaMelechs claim
that I am poor and I am destitute. The point the
Rebbe is making here is that in addition to the fact
that one approaches prayer with the opening words,
my lips will recount Your praise, there must also
be the feeling and acknowledgement that I am
poor and I am destitute.
The unique quality of the prayer of the poor and
destitute is developed in Zohar, where it compares
the prayer of the rich to the prayer of the poor
man: In general, the prayer of the rich refers to
the prayer of Moshe. (Moshe is called rich, as it
says in Gemara: The Shchina resides only upon
one who is wise and mighty, wealthy, and lofty in
stature. Moshe possessed all of these qualities
He was wealthy, as it says, Psal lecha (carve for
you) psulasan (the fragments) will be yours.

From these fragments of sapphire, Moshe become
wealthy.) Then there is the prayer of the poor
man: A prayer for the poor man when he is steeped
in affliction. The Zohar asserts that the prayer
of the poor man takes precedent over the prayer
of the rich man. That is, the prayer of Moshe (of
whom it is said, The man, Moshe, was extremely
humble, more than any man on the face of the
earth) was with the bittul described as my mouth
shall recount Your praise. Nevertheless, A prayer
for the poor man when he is steeped in affliction
supersedes even the prayer of Moshe, the prayer
of the rich man.
Now, it is important to point out the
tremendous virtue of the prayer of Moshe, which is
the prayer of the rich man. The Rebbe (Rashab),
nishmaso Eden, elaborates at length on this topic,
first clarifying the true meaning of affluence. The
concept of wealth, the Rebbe Rashab explains, is
not as one might think that it is merely lacking
nothing; simply not lacking anything is actually
not descriptive of wealth. It is, rather, as the verse
outlines [the degree to which one must support his
fellow through charity], providing enough for his
need, whatever he lacks.
In general, financial means can be classified in
three categories. Poverty, of course, is a state of
lacking. Then there is the notion of providing for
what the poor man lacks, providing enough for his
need, whatever he lacks, but you are not obligated
to make him rich. Beyond that level of financial
Issue 1003
1/5/2016 8:38:49 AM
DVAR MALCHUS
means is affluence. Being wealthy means not only
that one is not lacking anything including things
that were beyond his realm of experience before
he acquired his wealth he is actually overflowing
with abundance, etc.
Thus, the concepts of poverty and wealth apply
to spirituality: The prayer of the rich man, the
prayer of Moshe, is that he possessed all aspects
of holiness. Not only in the sense that he was not
lacking anything, but in a manner of affluence,
abundance. Nevertheless, the prayer of the poor
man takes precedence over the prayer of the rich
man, meaning that in order for tfilla to fully be
heard, there must be A prayer of a poor man,
Incline Your ear, O G-d; answer me, for I am
poor and I am destitute. Being in a state of bittul
and humility reaches deeper and higher (and as a
result, it also draws down spirituality lower, into the
physical world), surpassing even the prayer of the
rich man, who not only is not lacking in holiness
but he is abundant in it.
THE POLARITY OF POVERTY

VS. DESTITUTION
10. The Rebbe concludes in the maamer that the
letter Daled thus signifies bittul. The letter Reish,
on the other hand, has no Yud attached to it, for it
is lacking bittul. On the contrary, Reish represents
self-aggrandizement and arrogance. Thus, it is a
letter that signifies the Realm of Unholiness. Sitra
Achara is said to be impoverished and destitute
in the sense that it is bereft of any connection to
G-dliness. And given its impoverishment with
regard to holiness, it intensifies its conceit and
sense of self more and more.
Seen in this light, the difference between the
letters Daled and Reish is actually extreme; they
are polar opposites. Not only is the letter Daled
antithetical to Reish in terms of its spiritual
alignment Daled being on the side of holiness and
Reish being on the side of Sitra Achara but Daled
actually alludes to a sublime level of holiness and
Reish suggests an extreme level of arrogance, the
antithesis of holiness.
Daled represents the Sfira of Malchus. Although
it is an expression of dalus, poverty, for it has
nothing of its own, it is specifically as a result of its
poverty that it gathers within it all the revelations
from above. And from Sfiras HaMalchus the
general concept of G-ds authority and dominion
over the world emerges, that the world should be
G-ds home and domain. (Also, by means of total
bittul one reaches even higher than the prayer of

the rich, as explained above.)
The letter Reish, on the other hand, has the
ignoble quality within the ranks of Sitra Achara
itself of being the ultimate assertion of ego, being
an expression of poverty and destitution. Not only
is Reish impoverished in all matters of holiness;
it is also destitute of holiness. Thus, it is manifest
in the physical world as coarse materialism, the
ultimate assertion of ego.
DISCOVERING THE SOURCE OF EVIL

WITHIN HOLINESS
11. The letter Reish is, of course, one of the
letters of the word keresh plank, regarding
which it is said, You shall make the krashim for
the Mishkan of standing planks of atzei shittim,
acacia wood [symbolic of the transformation of
unholy folly to shtus dkdusha], teaching that the
ultimate avoda is to transform (through the avoda
of iskafia and ishapcha) the lowest aspects of the
world into something that can be used for holiness,
establishing a home for G-d in the physical world.
That is, one must strive to discover in the
Realm of Holiness a dimension that provides the
framework for such an existence, whereby through
Hishtalshlus and tzimtzumim (the diminishment
and concealment of G-dly light), and through the
process of spiritual descent, it is possible for there
to be the existence of Sitra Achara. Thus, it says
in works of Kabbala that the letters Kuf and Reish
correspond to the lower Sfiros Netzach (Victory)
and Hod (Splendor), which are expressions
of gvuros (manifestations of severity) and
tzimtzumim (the contraction or concealment of
G-dliness). It is from these lower levels of kdusha
(after the impact of tzimtzumim and spiritual
descent is felt) that unholiness emerges in the
lowest possible state. But by means of the avoda
of subduing Sitra Achara and transforming it,
krashim for the Mishkan are made out of this very
unholiness.
In so doing, the ultimate purpose for the
creation of the world is fulfilled that there should
be I shall dwell among them within each and
every Jew, as it was at the beginning of Creation
(but even more sublime), when the primary
manifestation of the Shchina was present in the
physical world.
(From the maamer delivered on Yud Shvat 5716,
bilti muga)
4 27 Teives 5776 Hakhel

1/5/2016 8:38:50 AM
LETTERS FROM THE REBBE
THE FIRST SHLICHUS:
CONQUERING
NORTH
AFRICA
A few days after the passing of the
Frierdiker Rebbe, the Rebbes first
Shluchim were sent to Morocco, to fulfill
a request of the Frierdiker Rebbe * The
Shlichus was sponsored in part by the
American Joint Distribution Committee
(JDC) * This week we begin a series
exploring this unique Shlichus, as seen
from the JDC Archives * Part One
Issue 1003
1/5/2016 8:38:51 AM
Letters from the Rebbe
hortly before the passing

of the Frierdiker Rebbe, he
expressed that he would
want Chabad Chassidim
to travel to Morocco, to educate
the children and adults, and bring
them the light of Torah. The job
was delegated to Rabbi Binyomin
Gorodetsky, who served as the
Frierdiker Rebbes (and then
the Rebbes) personal emissary to
Europe, Israel and North Africa.
The Frierdiker Rebbe passed
away on Yud Shvat 5710, and
the first letter written by the
Rebbe after the conclusion of the
Shiva was to Rabbi Michoel
Lipsker, writing that one of
the matters that the Frierdiker
Rebbe discussed with the Rebbe
in the days before his passing
was regarding the education of
children in Africa, and since there
is no doubt that the Frierdiker
Rebbes work must continue
the Rebbe asks him to take the
job, and there is no doubt in
my [mind] that you will accept
it with great happiness. After
Rabbi Lipsker agreed, the Rebbe
encouraged him to get his papers
in order and arrange any official
permission he needs, and in
the month of Iyar 5710 Rabbi
Lipsker moved to Morocco.
In subsequent letters to Rabbi
Lipsker the Rebbe notifies him
that one of his jobs will be to

conduct discussions with the
local JDC office in Morocco
which will subsidize the work (at
a later stage), who will then send
the requests to the JDC office in
Paris, where Rabbi Gorodetsky
will take care of it. However
the Rebbe added since the JDC
will only pay after they see actual
activities, the first payments will
be sent from New York.
In that period of time, the
JDC was already supporting
Jewish schools in Morocco, and
Rabbi Gorodetsky began the
difficult task of harnessing the
JDC support for the Chabad
Mosdos in North Africa. But it
was not an easy task, and the first
years of Shlichus were fraught
with problems with the local JDC
office in Morocco. This will be
described in the new series which
we begin this week, exploring this
unique Shlichus.
Since much was written on
the subject of this Shlichus, we
will only focus on the Shlichus
as it is seen through the eyes
of the JDC Archives (which
were digitized and uploaded
online, thanks to a grant from
Dr. Georgette Bennett and Dr.
Leonard Polonsky CBE).
*
On December 30, 1949 Mr.
Moses Beckelman (Paris JDC
office) writes to Mr. Herbert
Katzki (Casablanca JDC office)
regarding a meeting with Rabbi
Gorodetsky on the Morocco
matter, where he described the
purpose of the Shlichus:
I am sure you will be
delighted to hear that your and
our old friend Rabbi Gorodetzki
is planning shortly to visit your
bailiwick. His stated purpose
is to fulfill the obligation which
rests upon his organization to
bring its educational facilities and
procedures to the Jewish children
of Morocco who are not now

receiving a religious and Jewish
education. He is, of course,
expecting that JDC should meet
the costs of this program.
I
explained
to
Rabbi
Gorodetzki that
(a) We were not in a
position to undertake any new
commitments and
(b) We
already
had
arrangements
with
local
organizations
in
Morocco
to whom such funds (as we
could allocate to education and
religious teaching purpose) were
being distributed.
Rabbi Gorodetzki did not
seem impressed
A few months later, in July of
1950, Rabbi Gorodetsky travelled
to Morocco and met with Mr.
William Bein, the director of the
JDC in Morocco. The following
is an excerpt from a report by Mr.
Bein sent to Mr. Judah Shapiro
(JDC Paris) on July 17:
I have just had a visit from
Rabbi Gorodetzki, who arrived
here a few days ago and returned
to Paris on Sunday.
He told me that he had visited
several small villages, the Ozar
Hatorah and the chadarim here
He also told me in the same
informal manner that he had
arranged for Summer courses in
Meknes for 200 students.
As far as I could gather during
my short conversation with the
Rabbi, whom I have known for
so many years, they intend to
find out whether the Lubowitzer
Group could be helpful in
alleviating the misery here and,
particularly, in which way they
could help to teach Hinuch.
I told Rabbi Gorodetzki
that, in my opinion, it is
detrimental to the cause if
too many organizations come
into Morocco. The fewer
6 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

1/5/2016 8:38:51 AM
organizations, the better.

He told me that Mr. Shalom
had asked them to cooperate
with Ozar Hatorah in certain
matters and asked my opinion.
I told him that the only way I
wished them to cooperate was
to provide a man with definite
pedagogical knowledge and
at least some knowledge
of French, who could be in
charge of the educational part
of the Ozar Hatorah activities
in Casablanca. He was of the
opinion that many more such
people were needed here.
Frankly speaking, I had the
feeling that Rabbi Gorodetzky
was merely sounding out the
ground as to what they could
do here
*
As the Shlichus started
taking
shape,
Rabbi
Gorodetsky continued visiting
Morocco and creating the
foundation for the future
Shluchim who were to come
and conquer Morocco.
The Rebbe was very
appreciative of the JDC
support to the Chabad
organizations,
and
on
Chanukah 5711, he sent a
warm letter to Dr. Joseph
Schwartz:
Dear Dr. Schwartz:
Our representative, the
director of our European
office
in
Paris,
Rabbi
Benjamin Gorodetzky, has
informed me of his visit with
you last week, and of your
warm interest in our work,
as well as of your promise to
continue to cooperate with
us within the limits of your
ability. For this I want to
thank you very much.
I also wish to extend to
you my felicitations upon
your appointment to the
UJA post. I am sure that you
will approach your new

responsibilities with your
usual earnest attitude
and understanding of
the needs of orthodox
Judaism. I am further
confident that in view of
your long time association
with the JDC, you will
maintain your interest
in that organization and
your influence will be felt
there. Thus I hope that
you will also continue to
take an interest in our
work and will extend
to us your invaluable
cooperation.
Wishing you much
success in your public
work as well as in your
personal affairs, materially
and spiritually, and with
Chanukah greetings,
Cordially yours,
Rabbi
Mendel
Schneerson
*
Dr.
Schwartz
immediately
responded
with a letter (dated
December 11, 1950)
thanking
the
Rebbe,
and
confirming
his
commitment to help out
the Chabad activities in
Europe and Morocco:
Dear
Rabbi
Schneerson:
I acknowledge with
thanks receipt of your
letter of December 7th. It
was, of course, a pleasure,
as always, to see Rabbi
Benjamin Gorodetzky and
to discuss with him some
of the problems in Europe
and North Africa. I can
assure you that there is
every intention on our
part to cooperate with
your organization in the
future as in the past
Issue 1003
1/5/2016 8:38:51 AM
CHINUCH
CHOOSE
LIFE!
Another installment in the series on Educate a
child according to his way according to Chassidic
teachings, by Rabbi Nachman Twersky.
1/5/2016 8:38:52 AM
here is no parent or
teacher who doesnt want
to instill a Chassidishe
chinuch and chayus in his
children. The critical question is:
how much is he really interested,
and what is he willing to pay for
it.
The holy Zohar says that all
matters of the world depend only
on ratzon (will). What does this
mean? People have many desires
that are not realized, strong
desires that reach the point of
envy of others. For example,
when a person becomes rich his
friends are happy for him, but
some of them, or many others,
are jealous of him. So why dont
they all become rich if nothing
stands in the way of ratzon? It
would seem that if everyone has
a strong desire to become rich,
they would all become rich. So
why dont we see that happen?
There is a nice explanation
that goes like this. When it is
your only ratzon, when you want
it with all your might and this is
all you care about, then nothing
stands in the way of your ratzon
and you will be successful. The
problem is that those who are
jealous are usually jealous of the
results, but they arent willing to
pay the price by investing what
the other person did, risking
all his money and his life. Only
those who know rich people well
know how true this is.
The same thing applies to
chinuch. There are people who
have excellent children who are
a pleasure to interact with and
everyone wishes they had that
blessing. As in the blessing from
Hashem, and all the families of
the earth shall be blessed through
you, there are families that want
their children to behave like those
families, but to achieve that we
must investigate, what is the
real way of earning Yiddishe-
Chassidishe nachas from our

children?
There is nothing that stands
in the way of your will! When
it is your only desire, and you
are fully devoted to the chinuch
of your children and you do
everything for the sake of their
chinuch, then it will happen.
This is because the ratzon itself
will have its effect. Needless to
say, good, Chassidishe children
are the greatest nachas and
investment there can be.
In the HaYom Yom for 22
Teves it says, Just as wearing
tfillin every day is a Mitzva
commanded by the Torah to
tzaddik, R Yisroel of Ruzhin. R

Sholom was a gracious host and
placed the guest in a bedroom
along with his little boy, Yisroel,
who was five. When they both
prepared for bed and read the
bedtime Shma, the child walked
here and there about the room.
The tired guest asked him: Why
arent you going to sleep? The
boy said he was thinking about
how the day went, for he had to
correct what he did during the
course of the day.
The guest said: I also thought
about what I did today and within
a few minutes I was done. How
much time can you spend on
Our children are worth infinitely more than gold

coins. There is nothing more valuable than a
child. Hashem gave us children and he watches over
them for us, and all what remains for us to do is to invest
in their chinuch.
every individual regardless of

his standing in Torah, whether
deeply learned or simple, so too
is it an absolute duty for every
person to spend a half hour every
day thinking about the Toraheducation of children, and to do
everything in his power and
beyond his power to inspire
children to follow the path along
which they are being guided.
There are people who say, I
know my children like the palm
of my hand. I know where each
one is holding. Why do I need to
think about their chinuch for half
an hour a day? I can think of
the characteristics and aptitudes
of all my children in just a few
moments, so what is there to
think about for half an hour?
The story is told of a guest
of R Sholom Shachna of
Prohobich, the father of the
this?
The future Ruzhiner tzaddik
answered with a story. There
once was a king who had a
crown. He decided he wanted
to mount a brilliant diamond in
the center, a jewel that he had
obtained with great difficulty and
which was rare in its beauty. He
needed a professional diamond
setter to attach the diamond to
the crown without ruining it.
The king had the greatest
gem setter in the world come to
the palace. When the gem setter
took the diamond, his hands
began to shake and his heart to
race in fear for he knew the value
of the diamond. He told the
king he could not set the stone
because if he made even the
smallest mistake it would be an
enormously expensive damage.
Issue 1003
1/5/2016 8:38:52 AM
Chinuch
THE CHILD WHO RETURNED

THANKS TO A HAKHEL GATHERING
Since we are in a Hakhel year and it is customary to connect everything
to Hakhel, especially when were talking about childrens chinuch which
itself is related to strengthening fear of heaven:
There was a man who lived in Eretz Yisroel, not a Chassid, who was
devastated that his son had gone off the derech, left home, and wanted no
relationship not with Judaism and not with his parents. In 5748, the man
visited the United States and he took the opportunity to ask the Rebbe for
advice and a bracha. He began telling the Rebbe the sad story and the
Rebbe handed him an extra dollar and said, Success in Hakhel.
The man had no idea what this meant. He eventually met a Chassid
who explained what Hakhel is about, gathering the family and urging them
to fear G-d. The Chassid said, If you do it, surely it will bring blessing to
you.
When the man returned to Eretz Yisroel, he immediately did as the
Rebbe said. He invited the entire extended family for a Hakhel Evening
and decided to contact his son too. The father invited his son saying that he
had no intentions of preaching; he just wanted him to come and attend the
family Hakhel gathering as a member of the family. The son liked the idea
and made an appearance.
The family gathering took place in such a good atmosphere that it greatly
impacted the son to the point that he decided to return home. He slowly
came back to religious observance. That is the special power of Hakhel.
The setter suggested the
following: I will hire the services
of a person who is not an expert,
who will not know the true value
of this diamond, and ask him
to do the work. He will set it
without fear and is thus less likely
to damage the diamond.
The king did as he suggested
and the ordinary setter set the
stone quickly.
Said little Yisroel to the guest,
when you know the value of the
neshama and what every minute
of life is worth and what service
of Hashem is, you cannot make
a spiritual accounting in two
minutes. You need to think a
lot about every aspect where
there can be a flaw, because if
you dont you can lose out on
something which is invaluable.
The same is true with thinking
about chinuch of children half
an hour a day. When we know
the value of our children, that

Hashem endowed us with the
greatest possible gift, and that
Hashem said I am Hashem
your G-d to every Jewish child,
it will become self-apparent that
we need to devote a lot of time
to every child and examine what
exactly is going on with him.
You cannot accomplish this with
thinking about him for just a few
minutes.
The
Chassidim
of
R
Mordechai of Chernobyl had a
wagon driver with whom they
traveled to the Rebbe now and
then. The wagon driver was
not a chassid and had never
visited the Rebbe. One time the
Chassidim said to him, How
about meeting the Rebbe? Every
Jew ought to see the tzaddik.
The wagon driver agreed and
was granted an audience.
On the way home the
Chassidim were sharing their
experiences of exalted moments

with the Rebbe when the wagon
driver interjected and exclaimed
that he also had a special
experience by the Rebbe.
They asked him to explain
and he said: I went to the Rebbes
room and he asked me about my
occupation. I told him that I am
a wagon driver. The Rebbe asked
me about my daily schedule in
detail and I began by telling him
that early in the morning I go
to the market and buy various
goods and then I travel and sell
them. In the middle of the day
I go home and put on tfillin and
later on I take people places.
The Rebbe asked: Why dont
you daven like a Yid in the
morning?
I said: Rebbe, you must
understand that I might miss out
on buying merchandise, and then
I have to run and sell it, and this
is to support my household. I
dont have a choice.
The Rebbe responded with
a story: There was once a man
who was the son-in-law of a rich
man. For a number of years he
sustained his family with his
father-in-laws money.
This
enabled him to daven and learn
in peace. Years passed and one
day his father-in-law showed up
and said, From now on you have
to look out for yourself. Go into
business and make money.
The son-in-law began to think
about what business to go into
and came up with an idea. He
said to his wife: I know how to
learn, so I will be a teacher. I
will go to a rich man who has
children and I will teach them.
After several years I will amass a
large amount of money and I will
invest this money in business.
His wife approved of the idea
and the man became a teacher.
Every week he earned money and
every time money accumulated in

1/5/2016 8:38:52 AM
his bag, he exchanged it for gold

coins. For three years he saved
and scrimped until he had twelve
bundles of gold coins. He also
had a small bag with copper coins
for his food and other expenses.
Three years passed and he
decided the time had come to
return home. On the way, he
guarded the gold coins so they
wouldnt be stolen.
Before
Shabbos, he stopped in a village
and met someone who ran an
inn. The innkeeper invited him to
stay with him. The man told him
he was nervous about his money
being stolen but the innkeeper
said, dont worry, give me the
money and I will guard it for
you. Having no choice, with a
heavy heart he gave the man all
his gold and copper coins.
Throughout Shabbos, the
man worried about his money.
As soon as Shabbos was over, he
went to the innkeeper and asked
for his money. The innkeeper
immediately gave him all the
money. He checked and counted
all twelve bags of gold coins. But
he wasnt given the copper coins.
The man, seeing he was missing
the copper coins, began to shout,
Where is the bag of copper
coins?
The innkeeper said: Why are
you shouting? A person who
returned all twelve bags of gold
coins shows he is honest, so why
do you think he will steal one
sack of copper coins?
R Mordechai of Chernobyl
said to the wagon driver, Dear
Yid, Hashem returns your
neshama every morning, which
is worth infinitely more than gold
coins, and you are worried about
the copper coins?
Our children are worth
infinitely more than gold coins.
There is nothing greater than
children. Hashem gave them to
us and he watches over them for
us, and all what remains for us to

do is to invest in their chinuch.
In 5743, the Rebbe said a
sicha in which he explained about
the three partners in the birth
of a child, Hashem and the two
parents. Each one has a share,
with the parents providing the
body and Hashem the neshama,
and now each one has to invest.
The job of the parents is to invest
in and reveal the neshama of the
child, and the job of Hashem
is to provide for the child so he
is healthy and happy and has
everything he needs.
But sometimes, our minds
are busy with copper coins. We
children, to the point that parents

are even afraid of their children.
Therefore,
wisdom
and
consistency are a must: Yes to
providing children with treats in
good and permitted ways. For
example, when a child behaves
and does what he should in
Torah and mitzvos, you can and
must give him encouragement
and acknowledgment. No to
compromising when it comes
to Torah and mitzvos. Even if
the child insists, he needs to
know that when it comes to
Torah and mitzvos there are no
compromises!
The Rebbe clarifies this
If the child is taught truth without compromise,

with infinite love, then even if it requires selfcontrol on the childs part, he will still connect to the
message, because the childs natural inclination is to be
drawn to and love the truth.
obsess about trivial matters.

But in fact there is nothing as
valuable as our children! We
need to remember that Hashem
provides parnasa and we need to
educate our children and reveal
the pure neshama within them
which always longs for Torah and
mitzvos.
Our generation is very
complicated. On the one hand,
there is the unprecedented
phenomenon of baalei teshuva.
On the other hand, we are
witnessing a big dropout rate.
If we were to single out one of
the major factors in the dropout
rate, it would be the parent-child
relationship. It used to be, even
when parents hit the children
for bad behavior, that the
children respected their parents.
Nowadays, the smallest thing
causes a rift between parents and
approach in a letter (Igros

Kodesh vol. 13, letter #4604):
The teacher needs to constantly
remember that youth do not
believe in compromises and his
mind does not accept half-truths,
if there is such a thing as that
altogether, and therefore, he is
more successful with a complete
chinuch and not a chinuch that
is compromised a half, third,
quarter, especially when it comes
to Torah and mitzvos.
Unlike the mistaken ones,
who are afraid that a complete
chinuch will frighten off the
youth, grabbing too much,
the opposite is true, that every
compromise in matters of
principle engenders a lack of
faith in the heart of the one being
educated, and not only a lack
of faith in the educator but also
in the entire worldview that he
Issue 1003
11
1/5/2016 8:38:52 AM
Chinuch
champions and represents.
Furthermore and also vital,
compromise, which means giving
in and veering from the path,
even a slight veering from the
path of truth in the education
of youth, is like a scratch in a
seed that is planted. Even a tiny
scratch on it will later result in
a big flaw in the tree that grows
from it, a flaw which is difficult
to estimate ahead of time. The
analogue is understood.
The Rebbe is telling us that
a child wants to be good and
the child himself knows how
to distinguish between good
and bad. Even when he wants
something not good, he realizes
its not okay because like every
Jew, he is comprised of a G-dly
soul and an animal soul. But
when he is guided as to what is
good and what is bad in a clear
way, it influences him to choose
appropriately.
What happens is, people
who were overcome by their
evil inclination want to explain
away their corrupt behavior,
and they turn their weakness
into an ideology. We can call it
a philosophy of compromise.
The Rebbe responds and says:
compromise does not work.
Parents need to educate their
children in the way of Torah
without compromises. Although
the ways of Torah are ways of
pleasantness, and you need to
demonstrate warmth and love,
you cannot veer from the truth
because the child will be able to
tell that youre lying, and that, in
itself, creates irreparable damage
in the soul of the child.
But if the child is taught truth
without compromise, with infinite
love, then even if it requires selfcontrol on the childs part, he
will still connect to the message,
because the childs natural
inclination is to be drawn to and
love the truth.

Nowadays,
the
situation
is very sensitive. There is the
phrase, Emor vomarta warn
the adults about the children.
One of the commentaries says
that lhazhir (to warn) is
from the root meaning to shine.
Parents need to reveal the light of
Judaism within their children but
in our generation it is much more
complicated and difficult.
Unlike the past, where
mommy was home most of the
time and imbued the home with
the warmth of Judaism that
she absorbed from her parents,
todays generation requires much
more time.
Sometimes, both
parents are out of the home all
day and the time they have at
home is very limited, and even if
sometimes there is free time, they
are nervous and anxious due to
the stresses of daily life, such as
parnasa problems. The parents
come home exhausted and give
the children a list of orders and
the child feels that his father is
like the mashgiach in yeshiva.
Even within the nonstop rush
of life, parents must create a calm
atmosphere at home, because
a positive atmosphere affects
the entire household. When the
children see the father sit down to
learn at home, even if he merely
opens the seifer and dozes off,
they understand that the Gemara,
Likkutei Sichos, and Shulchan
Aruch are important to him.
Without giving orders and
without threat of punishment, the
children see the parents behavior
as a personal example of how to
behave. You dont need to say
anything beyond that. They see
the father learn and the mother
davening with closed eyes, and
this makes a lifelong impact.
The Kotzker Rebbe provided
a wonderful insight to the verse
about the Ben Sorer UMoreh
(the rebellious child), who did

not listen to the voice of his father
and the voice of his mother. The
voice of his father refers to the
fathers Torah learning at home,
and the voice of the mother
is seeing the mother daven and
telling stories of tzaddikim.
The child who did not listen
to the voice of his father and the
voice of his mother, did not hear
his parents sound of Torah and
sound of prayer, and that is how
he came to rebel, because a child
who hears his father and mother,
who sees their personal example,
does not veer from the path.
This is the bottom line of chinuch
for Chassidic enthusiasm, that in
the home you feel the caring, the
enthusiasm and the geshmak in
Torah and mitzvos.
The Tchebiner Rav asks
on the verse in Nitzavim, and
choose life so that you live, you
and your children, why does the
Torah have to tell us to choose
life? Every normal person wants
to live! And what is meant by so
you live, you and your children
the Torah speaks to every Jew
throughout the generations, so
why say and your children?
He answers that choosing
life is not about physical life
versus death, but a pleasurable,
warm, Chassidic life.
When
you perform all the mitzvos with
chayus and warmth, it influences
and causes that you live, you
and your children. Your son
sees how you live Shabbos
and observe Torah and mitzvos,
and how all aspects of Judaism
and Chassidus mean so much
to you, and on every Chassidic
special date he sees how you
farbreng and celebrate, and this
is engraved in him for a lifetime.
This will naturally affect him
so that you live, you and your
children he becomes alive!

1/5/2016 8:38:52 AM
HAKHEL & MOSHIACH
THE CENTRAL ROLE OF

THE JEWISH WOMAN
IN HAKHEL AND
BRINGING MOSHIACH
Dear Reader shyichyeh,
This Shabbos, Parshas VaEira,
is also 28 Teves, the birthday of
Rebbetzin Chana ah, the mother of
the Rebbe MHM. In her honor, I
feel that it is appropriate to dedicate
this article to the role that the
righteous women of our generation
play in the Hakhel campaign and in
the Avoda of bringing Moshiach.
In a very literal sense, the
mitzva of Hakhel was a mitzva
that the entire family had to do;
it was a family trip to the Beis
HaMikdash. The Torah (Dvarim
31:10) tells us: Then, Moshe
commanded them, saying, At the
end of [every] seven years, at an
appointed time, in the Festival of
Sukkos, [after] the year of Shmita,
when all Israel comes to appear
before the Lord, your God, in the
place He will choose, you shall read
this Torah before all Israel, in their
ears. Assemble the people: the men,
the women, and the children, and
your stranger in your cities, in order
that they hear, and in order that
they learn and fear the Lord, your
God, and they will observe to do all
the words of this Torah. It is no
secret that any successful family trip
is accomplished through the efforts
of the mother.
Yet, as explained many times
already, the Rebbe wants that this
idea of Hakhel that everyone
should be inspired with Yiras
Shamayim should start in our
own home. When a home is infused

with Jewish warmth and Emuna,
everyone in the home becomes
sensitive to G-dliness. This gives
them the ability to inspire others
as well. Who creates this special
environment? The Jewish woman,
the Akeres HaBayis anchor of the
home. The home is inherently the
domain of the Jewish woman and
she sets the values and the direction
of the home.
This is also evident in the
special Mitzvos of the Jewish
woman which are brought out in
the acronym of the name Chana: 1)
Challa (kashrus); 2) Nida (taharas
hamishpacha); and 3) Hadlakas
neiros (Shabbos and Yom tov). A
woman creates the family (taharas
mishpacha), nurtures the family
(kashrus) and illuminates the family
(neiros). These are not individual
mitzvos (like Tfillin etc.), rather
mitzvos that create an environment
of Yiras Shamayim.
The Jewish woman also plays
a major role in the bringing of the
Geula. In the words of the Rebbe
(Besuras HaGeula chapter 62):
The writings of the Arizal explain
that the generation of the future
Redemption is the reincarnation
of the generation that went out of
Egypt. Accordingly, the righteous
women of our generation, in whose
merit we will be redeemed, are the
same righteous women in whose
merit we left Egypt.
Our generation is the last

generation of exile and the first
generation of Redemption, for, in
the words of my sainted fatherin-law, all aspects of the Divine
service have been completed and we
stand ready to greet our righteous
Moshiach. Since this is the case, my
sainted father-in-law, the leader of
our generation, endeavored to affect
and influence the women, in order
to hasten the Redemption in the
merit of the righteous women of our
generation
...Just as in the exodus from
Egypt the righteous women of the
generation were confident that G-d
would perform miracles for them,
and they brought tambourines
from Egypt, so too in this final
Redemption
from
exile,
the
righteous women of Israel must be
confident, and certainly they are
confident, that immediately and
imminently the true and complete
Redemption is actually coming.
[So strong is their conviction that]
they begin immediately (in the
last moments of exile) to sing with
tambourines and with dances, for
the coming of the true and complete
Redemption!
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva
of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a
well sought after speaker and lecturer.
Recordings of his in-depth shiurim
on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be
accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.
Issue 1003
13
1/5/2016 8:38:53 AM
STORY
THE MIRACLE
RESCUE AT
THE MEORAS
HAMACHPEILA
By Menachem Ziegelboim
PART I
R Gershon Kitover, brotherin-law of the holy Baal Shem Tov,
experienced many difficulties
before he was able to make his
way to the secret yeshiva of the
holy Ohr HaChayim. Even when
he was accepted there, he only
merited to bask in the glow of
the holy Ohr HaChayim for three
days.
It was a tiny yeshiva, hidden
in a cave amid the mountains that
surround Yerushalayim. Very few
had the privilege of learning the
secrets of the Torah there. Most
of the students were accepted
because of their greatness, but
this was not the case for R
Gershon. His relationship as the
brother-in-law of the Baal Shem
Tov actually worked against him.
When R Gershon wanted
to enter the yeshiva, he had to
overcome many hurdles until his
greatness and asceticism were

recognized and the rosh yeshiva,
the holy R Chaim, agreed to
accept him. R Gershon sat in
yeshiva, immersed in the world
of the esoteric for three days.
When he arrived at the yeshiva
on the fourth day, a guard stood
there, blocking the entrance and
preventing him from entering.
Why are you stopping
me from going in? asked the
perplexed R Gershon.
Its an order I received
from our holy master, replied
the guard. I dont know the
reason, he added with a shrug.
R Gershon knocked at R
Chaims door and protested,
I was prevented from learning
Torah!
R Chaim looked up and
gazed at R Gershon. R Gershon
shook in fear of that pure, holy
gaze and stood rooted in his
place. There was a moment

of silence and then the tzaddik
broke the spell.
Yesterday, while washing
my hands for the morning bread,
it was revealed to me that you
are the brother of the wife of
Rabbeinu Yisroel Baal Shem Tov.
This is aside from your other
wonderful qualities that I did not
know of until now. Now that I
know who you are, I am beside
myself with aggravation over
having put you to personal use
a number of times because it is
a serious matter to make use of
Torah scholars.
R Chaim paused and then
added, As far as this matter
goes, I deliberated over this a
lot and finally decided, not for
this reason, to prevent you from
entering the yeshiva where you
would be one of my disciples,
despite the fact that our holy
sages said that it is permissible

1/5/2016 8:38:53 AM
for a rav to make use of a

student.
R Gershon bowed his head
before R Chaim, and with a voice
choked with tears he said, Why
then was I not permitted to enter
the yeshiva?
My son, how did you know
about our secret yeshiva in the
mountain? You yourself told
me, My brother-in-law, the Baal
Shem, revealed this secret to me.
You should know that that was
a great sin that you shortened
his holy title. Why werent you
careful to say, the holy Baal
Shem Tov? Shortening the title
of a tzaddik is considered like
disparaging the holiness of the
faithful servants of G-d. This is
why you are not allowed into the
yeshiva.
R Chaim added one last
point in a loving tone as though
to appease him, Moreover, you
R Gershon was swept up in his prayers. He

completely forgot about the time and where
he was, when he felt strong hands grabbing him and
dragging him away. Whats this? thundered a voice.
A Yahud, eh?
do not need us because you have

your own master; return home in
peace.
R Gershon returned and
wrote about these events to
his holy brother-in-law in
Mezhibuzh.
PART II
Those were difficult times
for the Jewish people. The evil
government passed laws against
the Jewish people and the Jews
were miserable.
The wicked
ones rejoiced and enacted more
decrees and ordered to burn and
destroy the Jews holy books.

The holy Baal Shem Tov wrote
the following to his brother-inlaw in Eretz Yisroel, I increased
my prayers and pleading before
G-d.
I asked for heavenly
mercy and tried to cancel the
decree. Go, my brother-in-law,
to Chevron and visit the resting
place of our Fathers, Avrohom,
Yitzchok and Yaakov and our
Mothers, Sarah, Rivka, Rochel,
and Leah, and tell them that
their children in the world are in
trouble.
R Gershon did not delay. He
Issue 1003
15
1/5/2016 8:38:54 AM
Story
hurriedly saddled his donkey and
took his sfarim with him, and
food, and set out, making his way
south to the holy city of Chevron.
It did not take long and from
a distance he could see the holy
city. He prepared himself as he
approached.
It actually wasnt a simple
matter to get into the Meoras
HaMachpeila.
An
Arab
strongman stood at the entrance,
his hand on his sword, and his
eyes radiating wickedness.
R Gershon prepared himself
by praying and with bribes too.
He had gold coins in his pocket
and when he approached the
guard he had a bundle in his
hand.
The Arab suspiciously
glanced at the bundle, then his
eyes widened with greed and he
reached for it.
They stood there like that,
alone, the holy one and the
impure one, at the entrance to
the holy cave.
I need to go inside, stated
R Gershon. I must go to our
Fathers and pray.
The Arab looked at him with
hate in his eyes, grasping the
bundle of money and remaining
silent.
We are all children of our Father
Abraham. We are all children of
one father. Allow me to spend
time with him, even for a few
minutes.
The Arab turned the bundle of
coins over in his hand and looked
from R Gershon to the bundle,
thinking about what to do next.
He finally said, My guard duty
is over in just a little while. After
that I go home and someone else
will come to replace me. What
will I do if this becomes known?
R Gershon tried to respond
but the Arab cut him off. Its a
pity over every minute we lose.
He glanced at the sun which was

moving toward the west. Go
inside for a few minutes. Pray
and then come right back out
before another guard replaces
me. If you stay in there too long,
your life will be in danger.
R Gershon did not manage
to say anything before the man
pushed him inside and closed the
door behind him.
lips curled in fury, roughly led

him to the Kadis palace. The
Kadi immediately sentenced R
Gershon. Because you went
inside, he hissed, you are
sentenced to die. Next Friday,
when our brothers come to pray,
we will hang you for all to see
and the Jews will know what
punishment awaits anyone who
breaks our laws!
PART III
PART IV
R Gershon found himself

standing in the gloom of the
Meoras HaMachpeila in the
presence of the holy Avos. He
closed his eyes for a moment and
he suddenly recalled the plea of
his brother-in-law in Mezhibuzh,
Ask them to prostrate before His
footstool and arouse His mercy
for His embittered children.
His pain was so great that he
felt he could not restrain himself
and he burst into tears and cried,
Please, our holy Fathers, your
children are in great distress.
Wicked ones surround us from
all sides. Jews who live in this
terrible exile are at the mercy
of those who hate us. Please,
compassionate Avos and Imahos,
plead before the King of all
kings.
R Gershon was swept up
in his prayers. He completely
forgot about the time and where
he was, when he felt strong hands
grabbing him and carrying him
away. Whats this? thundered
a voice. A Yahud, eh?
R
Gershon
immediately
returned to reality and looked at
the Arab who was dragging him.
No, it wasnt the Arab that he had
bribed. Much time had elapsed
and while he was importuning
the Avos and Imahos to beg
Hashem for help, there had been
a changing of the guards. The
Arab glared at him and with
The holy Ohr HaChayim,

who was in Yerushalayim, knew
what was going on. Fear and
pain gripped him when he heard
the fate of his friend. R Chaim
knew that R Gershon was in real
danger and there was no end to
his anguish. He sent emissaries
to the Jewish communities in
Tzfas and Chevron, to gather in
shuls, and to call for fasting and
prayer.
When the sun set on Thursday
night, the night before the
sentence would be carried out, R
Chaim wore sackcloth and sat on
the ground. He placed his head
between his knees and sobbed,
pleading with Hashem to do
away with the evil decree.
The night passed rapidly
and the sun rose on a new day.
Within a short time, R Gershon
would be brought to the town
square.
At that time, R Gershon sat
in his cell. He knew that in a few
minutes they would come and
take him to be hung, but his spirit
was strong. He was preoccupied
with prayer and had already
accepted the decree with love and
prepared to say Vidui.
He heard a slight creaking
of the door and he saw it slowly
swing open. A light breeze could
be felt.
Incredulously, R Gershon
walked over to ascertain whether

1/5/2016 8:38:54 AM
he was seeing properly.

He
caught his breath. The guard
was sleeping at the door. Beyond
the open door he could see the
hills of Chevron.
R Gershon skipped over the
body of the guard, quietly closed
the door of the cell behind him,
and rushed to get out of the area.
He looked up at the sky and
thanked G-d. He then hurried
along toward Yerushalayim.
The Shabbos Queen was
descending upon Yerushalayim.
Those who made haste were
already sitting in the shuls and
reciting the Song of Songs.
Others were still finishing last
minute Shabbos preparations.
R
Gershon
entered
The holy Ohr HaChayim, who was in Yerushalayim,

knew what was going on. Fear and pain gripped
him when he heard the fate of his friend. R Chaim knew
that R Gershon was in real danger and there was no
end to his anguish. He sent emissaries to the Jewish
communities in Tzfas and Chevron, to gather in shuls,
and to call for fasting and prayer.
Yerushalayim and walked toward

the house of R Chaim. His
heart overflowed with praise and
thanks to G-d and he wanted
to tell the tzaddik what had
happened.
By the time he got to R
Chaims house, the tzaddik

was lifting the cup to recite
the Kiddush.
Suddenly, the
door opened and there was R
Gershon. R Chaim stood at
the head of the table, slightly
nodding his head. Both of them
knew everything.
Make a Mivtzah Kashrus in your own computer!
Introducing JNET-The world wide web without the world wide worryTM
While The Internet can be a helpful tool for business,

education and personal use it can also be a potentially
dangerous one.
That's why J Net was created.
Using exclusive multi-tiered intelligent filtration, the J Net
portal is probably the most effective consumer resource for
eliminating material not conducive to our needs.
More than virtually foolproof, J .NET is also easy both to
install and use. Plus its available in both dialup and high
speed DSL and backed by highly trained customer service
experts that will solve your problems fast.

Most important, you can now get the JNET Advantage for
only a bit more than non-filtered on line providers.
If you're ready for the world wide web without the world wide
worry, you're ready for JNet.
DIALUP DSL
Unlimited Access
24 Tech Support
4 Profiles per
Account
Web Mail
Call us toll free at 1-866-866-JNET (5638)
(mention code 770 for special ANASH Rate)
Issue 1003
17
1/5/2016 8:38:55 AM
PARSHA THOUGHT
GALUS: A
SISYPHEAN
PUNISHMENT
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
AND HARD LABOR
At the end of last weeks
parsha, the intolerable Egyptian
oppression had gotten worse as
a result of Moshes demands of
Pharaoh to let the Jewish people
go.
When Moshe complains of
how things deteriorated since
he was sent on his mission
to Pharaoh, G-d responds by
stating that he has heard the
cries of the people, as recounted
in this weeks parsha. G-d then
elaborates on the way they will be
liberated and uses four different
expressions that underscore the
glorious and comprehensive
nature of their imminent Exodus
(for which reason we drink four
cups of wine at the Seder).
When Moshe reported G-ds
words to the Jewish slaves: They
did not listen to Moshe due to
shortness of breath and hard
labor.
When G-d told Moshe to
speak to Pharaoh again, Moshe
argues: If the children of Israel
did not listen to me, then how
will Pharaoh listen to me? And I
have sealed lips!
Rashi comments that Moshes
argument is one of the ten kal
vchomer inferences mentioned

in the Torah. A kal vchomer is
a logical method of deduction in
which we draw inferences from
a weaker case and apply it to a
stronger case. Rashi explains
that Moshe was reasoning
here: If, because of my speech
impediment, the children of
Israel, who have everything to
gain by listening to me, did not
listen to me, Pharaoh, who has
everything to lose by listening to
me, will surely not listen to me.
WHY DIDNT THEY LISTEN?

Commentators, however, find
it hard to understand Moshes
logic in comparing Pharaoh to
the children of Israel. The Torah
itself explains why the children
of Israel would not listen to
him; it was due to shortness
of breath and hard labor. This
rationale certainly did not apply
to Pharaoh!
To answer this question we
must first answer yet another
question
raised
by
Torah
commentators.
Why would the children of
Israel not listen to Moshe? The
rationale given by the Torah
should have motivated them all
the more to listen to Moshe.
They would surely have wanted

to find some measure of comfort
by hearing that G-d promised
them that their suffering will
soon come to an end. The Torah
doesnt say that they no longer
believed Moshe because of the
increased burden of slavery that
resulted from his first encounter
with Pharaoh. If that were the
case, we could understand why
they would not listen to Moshe:
they ceased to believe that Moshe
was speaking in the name of G-d.
But, the Torah does not say that.
It only mentioned the shortness
of breath and hard labor, which
should have made them even
more receptive to Moshes
message.
THE ANATOMY OF GALUS

To answer these questions
we must dissect the anatomy of
Galus. The Talmud (Sukka 52b)
states that exile is one of four
things G-d regrets. Now it is
obvious that G-d does not make
mistakes. If He thought that exile
is bad for us, why did He create
it in the first place? Second,
why just exile? Why doesnt
the Talmud say that He regrets
having created pain and suffering
even if they occur outside the
venue of exile?
The Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos
volume
24)
asks
another
question: One of the other four

1/5/2016 8:38:55 AM
things G-d regrets is the yetzer

hara. We say in our prayers that
the cause of exile is our sins.
Why then mention both exile and
the evil inclination? If the Talmud
mentions that G-d regrets the evil
inclination which causes us to
sin, it no longer has to mention
that He also regrets exile which is
the consequence of our sins!
The Rebbe teaches us that
G-d could have found other
forms of punishment to cleanse
us of our sins. It did not have to
occur through exile. Thus, exile is
a more profoundly objectionable
phenomenon than even pain and
suffering.
The question that now begs
for an answer is why the pain
and suffering experienced in
exile is worse than just pain and
suffering? And isnt exile, with
its attendant oppression and
persecution, just another form of
suffering?
The answer is that exile is not
simply the fact of being driven off
our land and forced to live under
the sovereignty of other nations.
The special pain and suffering of
exile is that we are subjected to
breathing the spiritually polluted
air of exile, which is foreign to
our existence and well-being.
When G-d administers pain
and suffering it is with the goal
that we realize we have gone
astray and should return to G-d
and His commandments. If it
serves that purpose, there can
be some justification for the
pain and suffering. However, if
the pain and suffering does not
have the capacity to compel us to
introspection and to rectify our
behavior, that pain and suffering
is pointless. In truth, it is more
than useless; it is cruel!
NO TO PRISON!
This might explain why Jewish
law never included imprisonment

as a standard punishment. Its
only use was to protect society
from a type of criminal whose
freedom would allow him to
commit more crimes.
If the sanction doesnt bring
the criminal to atonement then
it is simply punishment for the
sake of punishment. That would
be cruel, and the Torah, which
is designated as a Torah of
kindness, could not countenance
it. Prison, in the overwhelming
majority of cases, does not
forces in the physical world is

fire. When a house is on fire, G-d
forbid, the most dangerous aspect
of it is not the fire but the fumes
it generates. As long as a person
trapped in the house remains
conscious, there are ways,
albeit, in some cases extremely
difficult, to find an escape route.
If, however, the fumes cause the
person, who might already be
asleep, to descend into an even
deeper slumber, it can be deadly.
What makes this threat
qualitatively different from all
Galus is not just living outside of our homeland; it

compels us to breathe unholy air and inhale toxic
fumes. This is why the Talmud ranks the undesirability
of exile greater than the other regrettable phenomena.
While all types of negativity cause us to falter, adversity
often possesses a silver lining and can be the greatest
motivator for our turning a new leaf and doing good.
Not so much exile. Notwithstanding the positive things
that emerged from our stay in exile, its deleterious
effects, chiefly its power to put us into a state of spiritual
unconsciousness, far outweighs its benefits.
rehabilitate the person; it merely

subjects the person to pain and
profound alienation from family
and society. Punishment that
actually causes one to degenerate
further and fall deeper into
the moral abyss and denies the
prisoner the opportunity to be
productive, coupled with physical
pain and suffering, is nothing
short of a major crime on the
part of the society that condones
it!
FIRE!!!
To better understand the
odious nature of Galus one can
use the following analogy.
One of the most destructive
other threats to a persons life

is that normally, when a person
is confronted with danger,
human nature will trigger the
person to react; the adrenaline
starts flowing and the process of
salvation goes into full gear.
When the threat, however,
lulls
the
potential
victim
into a sense of security and
unconsciousness, the danger is
greatly magnified. This perilous
situation presents a two pronged
threat: first, it is directly harmful
and second, it robs the person
of his ability to take defensive
measures.
Issue 1003
19
1/5/2016 8:38:55 AM
PARSHA THOUGHT
GALUS: LOSS OF OUR

DEFENSE MECHANISM
We can now understand why
of the four things the Talmud
states that G-d regrets the first
one mentioned is exile. While
there are other ominous threats
to our existence, we are still
alert to them and have defense
mechanisms to counter them.
Galus is an exception to that rule.
Galus is like the deadly arrow
that can pierce the body armor of
the victim.
Galus is not just living outside
of our homeland; it compels us
to breathe unholy air and inhale
toxic fumes. Tragically, even
those Jews who are fortunate to
live in the Land of Israel now are
subjected to the second-hand
smoke emanating from Galus.
This is why the Talmud
ranks the undesirability of exile
greater than the other regrettable

phenomena.
While all types
of negativity cause us to falter,
adversity often possesses a silver
lining and can be the greatest
motivator for our turning a new
leaf and doing good. Not so
much exile. Notwithstanding
the positive things that emerged
from our stay in exile, its negative
effects, chiefly its power to
put us into a state of spiritual
unconsciousness, far outweighs
its benefits. We therefore implore
G-d, at least thrice daily, to
bring an end to the exile that
He Himself regretted having
created.
ARGUMENT REEXAMINED
We can now understand why
the children of Israel were not
receptive to Moshes relaying to
them the promise of Redemption.
They were so overcome
by the fumes of exile that
they couldnt do what was
necessary to get out of it.
Had they been subjected
to any other form of
suffering they would
have been keen to hear
about their salvation. The
spiritual effects of Galus
are
pernicious.
They
desensitize the victim to
the point of numbness.
Moshe thus argues
that if the children of
Israel, who possess a
sensitive soul bequeathed
by
their
Patriarchs

and Matriarchs, have become

so anesthetized, how much
more so the pagan Pharaoh,
who epitomized the Galus
mentalityindeed, he was its
very embodimenthe could not
be receptive.
G-d, however, did not accept
Moshes argument. Instead He
started the process of miracles
and plagues. These were not
intended simply as punishments
for the Egyptians; these miracles
rather
represented
G-ds
blowing in new and purified air
into the atmosphere and driving
away the toxic fumes of exile. As
a result the Jewish people became
more sensitive to the energy of
Redemption. Even Pharaoh,
had G-d not hardened his heart,
would have been more receptive.
THE PURIFYING
EFFECTS OF MIRACLES
We are living, as the Rebbe
taught us, on the very cusp of
Redemption. While the world is
still living in a toxic environment,
physically and spiritually, the
Jewish people have received
tremendous miracles particularly
in the last few decades. The
Rebbe emphasized our need
to rejoice in, and publicize,
these miracles, which are G-ds
instrument of purifying the
atmosphere of the desensitizing
effects of Galus and introduce
the healthy and life-sustaining air
of Redemption.
Express service
Fully Computerized
331 Kingston Ave.
(2nd Flr) Brooklyn NY 11213
Get your tickets within minutes!
(718) 493-1111
Fax: (718) 493-4444
"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torah

sources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a
Radio Moshiach & Redemption
1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park

& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6
1/5/2016 8:38:56 AM
worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org
Rabbi Jacob Schwei
QUIZ
Which of these is your greatest asset?
___
Which of these is currently uninsured?
___
Your ability
to earn an incomeis by faryour greatest
asset
.
If that income stream is interruptedeven for a brief periodwhat would happen to the rest
of your lifestyle? Even if you are young and careful, the odds of becoming too sick or injured to
work are greater than you might think. Research shows that men have a 43% chance of becoming
seriously disabled during their working years, while women have a 54% chance .
1
To learn more about flexible, high quality disability income protection2 to protect your
greatest asset, please contact:
BROOKLYN FINANCIAL GROUP
A Representative of Guardian
Oren Popper, Field Representative

Telephone: 917-720-6565
Email: Oren@bfgny.com
1
Why Disability booklet, published by National Underwriter.
Disability income products underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, Pittsfield, MA, a wholly owned
stock subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY, or The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America,
New York, NY.
1/5/2016 8:38:56 AM
BITACHON BYTES
YICHUS IS LIKE THE

NUMBER ZERO
By Rabbi Zalman Goldberg
ou can have a ton of

zeros, but it only matters
if there is a different digit
in front of all those zeros.
At its essence, Bitachon
intends to instill and internalize
within us that Hashem is
the sole and true existence.
Contemplating this automatically
lessens the feeling of ones own
importance, for how can ones
existence be significant in the
presence of the omnipresent
Hashem. This can shed light on
anything which can potentially
cause feelings of egotism, as to
what the proper perspective on
that matter should be.

One example of the above is
found in the issue of pedigreeyichus. Generally, when pedigree
is discussed, it is in the context
of how great the individual is as
a result of his exalted lineage,
a conversation which is more
boastful than modest. The
Bitachon angle on yichus will
be one of recognition that while
there are advantages to having
holy ancestors, no feelings of
egotism will result from that
realization.
In this weeks parsha the
Torah digresses from a discussion
of the steps that led up to the
eventual geula and talks about
the lineage of Moshe and Aharon,
in connection to their being
chosen to take the Yidden out of
Egypt. The Rebbe elucidates1 the
account of Moshe and Aharons

pedigree as being directly
connected to the story of their
carrying out the redemption,
and not just a literary tangent
or parenthetical. In fact, their
forebears are the very reason for
their being chosen to lead Yidden
to the geula. When Pharaoh
decreed that all boys be thrown
into the Nile, Yocheved, the
mother of Moshe and Aharon,
disobeyed. She actually went so
far as to assist the Jewish mothers
with their babies, () .
And Amram, the father of Moshe
and Aharon, remarried his wife in
spite of Pharaohs terrible decree
to slay all Jewish males.
This was the pedigree of
Moshe and Aharon through
which they merited to help the
Yidden, just as their parents did,
by leading them out of Egypt.
This explanation not only
clarifies the Torahs seeming
digression, to discuss lineage
in the midst of recording the
happenings of the redemption
from Egypt, it also gives us
a novel look at yichus. The
message of the Torah is not that
Moshe was great because his
forbears were tzaddikim; rather,
Moshe was great because his
righteous ancestors bequeathed
to him unique qualities and he
used them to their fullest. In
other words, to the offspring of
great Rebbes, pedigree can be a
fact of life or it can be a part of
who the descendant is. Moshe

and Aharon didnt just have great
parents; they also utilized the
tremendous quality of caring for
others, which they received from
their parents, even in the face of
adversity.
This perspective is a very
demanding view of yichus.
Boasting about ones ancestry
inflates the ego over nothing that
the speaker has done. Quite to
the contrary, pedigree should
bring a person to think about
whether he is living up to his great
pedigree and utilizes the unique
qualities bequeathed to him by
his ancestors. This will cause a
feeling of bittul and inadequacy,
which is more congruent with the
path of Bitachon.
For this reason, there are
people2 who seldom, if ever,
speak about themselves or
of their families from earlier
generations.
Such
speech
could easily diminish their selfnegation by bringing on an
extra dose of pride due to such
discussion3.
The Sar Shalom of Belz4 was
once in the company of another
great Rebbe who was not a
descendant of such noteworthy
lineage. This Rebbe felt that the
Sar Shalom was acting superior
to him because of the Belzers
great pedigree. Noticing this,
the Belzer Rebbe turned to his
colleague and asked, Who is
superior, a tzaddik who is born
to a pedigreed family or a tzaddik
born to a simple family?

1/5/2016 8:38:56 AM
The
Sar
Shalom
then
answered his own question,
Chazal say that a person is
obligated to constantly ask
himself,
when will my
deeds achieve the level of my
fathers deeds? Bearing this in
mind, if one does have an exalted
lineage, and follows this directive
of always comparing his actions
to those of his forefathers, that
will bring to a feeling of bittul
and self-negation
On this note we will now
share two noteworthy anecdotes
which reflect this message.
When the Alter Rebbe convinced
the Mitteler Rebbe to take the
Tzemach Tzedek as a son-inlaw, each side of the Shidduch
followed the custom of showing
off his pedigree5.
The Mitteler Rebbe said, I
have a great pedigree because I
have a father who is a Rebbe.
(As we know, the Alter Rebbes
father R Baruch was a great
tzaddik but was not a Rebbe.)
The Alter Rebbe responded, I
have a greater pedigree because I
have a son who is a Rebbe. (As
we know, none of the Mitteler
Rebbes sons succeeded him as a
Rebbe.)
The Mitteler Rebbe took
the
conventional
path
of
understanding pedigree; the
Alter Rebbe responded with not
just factual pedigree, but real
substantial pedigree. He was
zocheh to instill the holiness of
Rebbe into one of his own sons,
which can only happen through
toiling and infusing the proper
kdusha into his son.
The holy Ruzhiner was
once conversing with another
tzaddik about whose pedigree
was greater. When the other
tzaddik finished enumerating
all of his holy ancestors, the
Ruzhiner replied, Our pedigree
works in the opposite direction.

My Zeide the Mezritcher
Maggid had a great son, Reb
Avraham the Malach, and he
had a holy son, Reb Sholom,
who was a big tzaddik, and Reb
Sholom had me, and I have a
son the tzaddik of Sadigur.
The message is clear. The
bittul way, and thus the Bitachon
view, of pedigree is that it should
demand of us more Torah, more
yiras Shamayim, more fulfillment
of Mitzvos, all of which will cause
that as the generations continue
to pass, the effect of the pedigree
will remain and only get stronger
and not chv diminish (due

to lack of action as a result of
haughtiness).
Rabbi Zalman Goldberg is a well
sought after speaker and lecturer on
Chassidic thought. His writings and
recordings on the topic of Bitachon can be
accessed at http://www.gotbitachon.com.
(Endnotes)
.63 ') '' '' 1

,) ' 2
.30 ' '
) ' 3
. ...
.151 ' ,) 4
',238 ') '' '' 5
.' '' ' ''
Issue 1003
23
1/5/2016 8:38:57 AM
PROFILE
FORTY YEARS
OF FRIENDSHIP
WITH THE REBBE
His friend for forty years, wrote the Rebbe about
himself to the Chassid, Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok
Hecht, one of the first shluchim of the Rebbe
Rayatz in the US. He was the shliach and dean of
the Yeshivos Achei Tmimim in Worcester and New
Haven. After his passing on 27 Teves 5752 the
Rebbe delivered an entire sicha about him.
By Refael Dinari
THE REBBE DOES NOT

REMAIN IN DEBT
R Moshe Yitzchok Hecht ah
was born in 1920 in Brooklyn,
New York. While still a boy, he
and his brothers attended the
Chassidus classes given by R
Yisroel Jacobson. The Hecht
brothers thus repaid the Rebbes
debt to their grandfather.
The grandfather, R Tzvi
Elimelech, who was a Shiniver
Chassid, had bought a mikva in
the Brownsville neighborhood
a few years earlier which was
about to close. In 5690, when
the Rebbe Rayatz spent Shabbos
there, he immersed in that mikva
and wanted to pay, especially
when R Tzvi Elimelech had

thoroughly prepared the mikva
for the important guest. But R
Tzvi Elimelech refused monetary
payment. My payment, said
the Rebbe, will be that your
grandsons will be my Chassidim.
Indeed, the six grandsons became
Lubavitcher Chassidim.
When the Rebbe came to
America and announced that
America is no different than
Europe, R Moshe Yitzchok
was one of the students who
joined the fledgling Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim that the Rebbe
founded. In 5701, he married
his wife Rivka, daughter of R
Shmaya Krinsky.
BREAD FROM HEAVEN

On 12 Tammuz 1942,
the branch of Yeshivas Achei
Tmimim was founded in
Worcester. The younger brother,
R Avrohom Dov Hecht, was sent
to run the yeshiva at first and
then R Moshe Yitzchok, who
arrived toward the end of the
year, took over. He had been
married for just a year.
I chose him to run the
yeshiva knowing that he is a
serious person and that, with
Hashems help, I could rely
on him to act devotedly and
responsibly, explained the Rebbe
Rayatz. As the Rebbe instructed,
he went first and then his family

1/5/2016 8:38:57 AM
practical ramifications.
When the local rabbi resigned
his post, a man who was not that
warm toward mitzva observance,
the Rebbe Rayatz wrote R
Hecht, Now you need to make
efforts with careful thought that a
proper rabbi be chosen.
R Hecht, who was known as
an excellent speaker, used this
ability to promote Judaism in
Worcester. In those days, when
there were no books with readymade sermons like you have
today, he had to sit and prepare
his sermons himself with the few
sfarim he had. In an interesting
letter, the director of Merkos
LInyanei Chinuch, Ramash,
later to be our Rebbe, wrote,
We are sending you two books
about Shabbos and family purity.
Although we did not clarify if
everything it says in there is
proper, however you yourself
can select material for speeches
etc. but dont give them to others
to read before clarifying.
SHLICHUS IN NEW HAVEN
joined him at a later date. Before

the trip, he had a special private
audience in the course of which
the Rebbe told him, Until now
you ate bread from the ground.
From now on you will eat bread
from heaven.
The yeshiva in Worcester
enjoyed astonishing success.
Within
two
years
the
administration
had
already
bought two buildings for the
yeshiva. There were about one
hundred children in the school,
most of them enrolled through
persistent house calls made by R
Hecht. His wife also got involved
in organizing the women in the
community.
The shlichus in Worcester
wasnt only about giving classes

in the Jewish school and raising
funds.
From the Rebbes
perspective, all Jewish matters
in the city were on R Moshe
Yitzchoks shoulders, as he wrote
him in a letter in which he told
him to travel: When you are
there, there is no need to limit
yourself solely to work in the
yeshiva; you need to be involved
in all matters that pertain to
strengthening
Judaism
and
matters of chinuch and to acquire
members for Machne Israel,
and to establish times to learn
Chassidus and review Chassidus
in public, and to raise the spirit of
Chassidus, the main thing being
to work in matters that have
On 15 Av 5706/1946, the
Rebbe Rayatz wrote to R Hecht,
I request that you carry out my
son-in-law, Rashags suggestion
to accept the position of running
the yeshiva Achei Tmimim
Lubavitch in New Haven and
to move there for material and
spiritual success.
Shortly after receiving the
letter, R Hecht was already
on the train on his way to
Connecticut, the place where
he lived and worked with selfsacrifice for decades on shlichus
of the Rebbe Rayatz and then the
Rebbe. R Yehuda Tzvi Fogelman
ah took over the running of the
yeshiva in Worcester.
When he arrived in New
Haven, he met the Chassid, R
Velvel Schildkraut, who had
Issue 1003
25
1/5/2016 8:38:57 AM
Profile
ANSWERS FROM THE REBBE

While on shlichus for the Rebbe
Rayatz and the Rebbe (in New Haven
and before that, in Worcester), R
Hecht received dozens of answers
from the Rebbe that are relevant to
all. In these letters we see the unusual
relationship that he had with the
Rebbe. Here is a sampling:
ADVICE FROM AN OLD FRIEND

My personal advice for you as his
friend for forty years is: Your mosdos
and activities in New Haven are large
and wonderful. You have succeeded as
the shliach of the Rebbe, my father-inlaw, the emissary of G-d, and I believe
with complete faith that Hashem
did not change and the Rebbe, my
father-in-law stands and serves
Above and blesses and grants success
to his emissaries now as before. The
conclusion is simple.
THE REBBE IS HAPPY WHEN A

CHASSID IS HAPPY
In another rare response, after R
Hecht wrote about difficulties in his
shlichus:
A number of times Ive asked and
agitated that in general, and especially
now, you need to be happy etc.
Obviously, if those who belong to me
are happy, this affects me too (and
from the positive you can infer the
negative). Those who belong more,
especially through actions done daily,
the above mentioned is in greater
measure etc. And suddenly I have been
told that you are not (that) happy?
THE FRIEND WHO DID NOT YET

MAKE A DONATION
In one of R Hechts letters, he
reported to the Rebbe about the
financial state of the yeshiva in New
Haven and how he was in debt for
$100,000. He said he had asked all
his friends for donations of $1000
for the yeshiva. The Rebbe underlined

the word friends and in addition to
enclosing a check for $1000 wrote,
Surely from one of them you havent
taken yet and his name is Menachem
Schneersohn. Enclosed is a check for
my participation.
THE SHLIACH DOESNT KNOW

HIS OWN POWER
Regarding what he wrote on 15
Tammuz, 5734 that the Rebbe will
help and do everything, the Rebbe
responded, before they call, I answer
I have already done as you advised
and sent R Moshe Yitzchok Hecht
there, and it seems from this letter
of yours and from the previous one
that you still do not know him and
the abilities he was given. At least
try and get to know him now and
immediately everything will change;
your disposition, trust in Hashem, joy
in daily life, etc. I will mention it at the
tziyun.
FOR MY GRANDMOTHER
R Hecht had a daughter born in
5708 and the Rebbe contacted him and
asked if it was possible to name her
Rochel for Rebbetzin Chanas mother
who had no namesake yet. After the
bestowing of the name, Rebbetzin
Chana thanked the Hecht family and
the Rebbe also wrote a thank you letter
which is printed in the Igros Kodesh.
It seems this is the only time the Rebbe
asked a Chassid to name for someone
in his family.
WHY DONT THEY UNDERSTAND

YIDDISH?
On the eve of the fifteenth of Shevat
5712, R Hecht brought a group of
graduates from the school to yechidus
with the Rebbe. The Rebbe said a
sicha to the children and then R Hecht
translated it into English. Why dont
the children understand Yiddish?
wondered the Rebbe.
already started a school,

at first as an afternoon
program. Over the years,
it became a full day
program. When R Hecht
went to Connecticut, the
total number of students
was four and the class was
held in a living room. Two
years later there were 120
students. Today hundreds
of children from preschool
till high school age attend
the school. R Hecht was
also appointed rabbi of the
Beit-El shul where he was
very successful.
In Kislev 5731, when
various
organizations
decided
to
hold
an
education conference in the
city, R Hecht debated about
whether to go and speak.
He asked the Rebbe, who
said yes, Obviously, 1) you
must attend and participate.
All the above-mentioned
need to know that any
discussion about chinuch in
the city must certainly be
held with your participation;
2) It would not be dignified
if, when it comes to
education, it seems that you
have nothing to teach them,
so you should speak and in
expansive fashion; 3) About
the importance of chinuch
in the tradition of Avrohom,
Yitzchok, and Yaakov, and
Sara, Rivka, Rochel, and
Leah, which is why Achei
Tmimim etc. was founded
and was successful; 4)
Based on the foregoing,
obviously more monetary
help than in the past is the
best investment ...
ACTIVITIES EXPAND
Over the years, more
mosdos were added.
A
few years after his arrival a

1/5/2016 8:38:57 AM
school for girls was founded. It

was one of the only frum girls
high schools in the US. In 5725,
after the passing of Rebbetzin
Chana, R Hecht asked the Rebbe
whether the school could be
named for his mother, suggesting
Chana Schneersohn High School
for Girls. The Rebbe circled the
family name and indicated that
it should be deleted and said the
school should be named Beis
Chana on condition that the
name wasnt already used outside
of Chabad.
While the school was being
built, an unexpected guest,
Rebbetzin
Chaya
Mushka,
arrived, without prior notice.
The surprised Hecht couple gave
the Rebbetzin a forty minute tour
around the building that was
under construction. Later on, in
yechidus, the Rebbe said that his
wife was very impressed by how
beautiful the building was.
When R Hecht brought the
Rebbe the key to the city on 11
Nissan 5732, the Rebbe said, I
accept the key not as a personal
matter, but in recognition of the
mosdos that I have the privilege
of heading. Giving me the key
indicates that he [the mayor] is
pleased that one of those mosdos
is in his city. It also means that
he is willing to help the mosdos
in any way he can. He writes
very nicely about Beis Chana.
The unusual success was the
reason R Hecht was awarded
an honorary doctorate. A short
while later, the Rebbe received
a letter in which R Hecht is
referred to as doctor. The Rebbe
expressed his surprise about this.
R Hecht wrote the Rebbe
asking whether he wasnt pleased
with the use of the title. The
Rebbe responded, There are
places where mentioning the
title can be helpful. My surprise
was not about that but about the
In one of R Hechts letters, he reported to the

Rebbe about the dire financial state of the
yeshiva in New Haven. He said he had asked all his
friends for donations of $1000 for the yeshiva. The
Rebbe underlined the word friends and in addition to
enclosing a check for $1000 wrote, Surely from one of
them you havent taken yet and his name is Menachem
Schneersohn. Enclosed is a check for my participation.
deletion of the real title, rav...
MISSIONS AROUND THE

WORLD
Over the years, R Hecht was
sent as the Rebbes personal
emissary to a number of places.
In 5710, the Rebbe sent him
to Brazil. Before he went, the
Rebbe gave him a piece of the
Rebbe Rayatzs handkerchief
as a segula for protection and
success. Twenty years later, the
Rebbe asked for it back. The
Rebbe also gave him a bottle of
mashke for the trip.
In 5723, the Rebbe had R
Hecht travel around the world
and strengthen the Jewish
communities in a number of
countries
including
Greece,
Turkey,
Yugoslavia,
Austria,
Holland, and Eretz Yisroel.

Before leaving, R Hecht received
precise
instructions
about
people he was supposed to
meet. Rabbanim and community
leaders gave him pidyonei nefesh
for him to give to the Rebbe.
The Rebbe told him to
meet with a Jewish doctor in
Zagreb, Yugoslavia and to find
out whether kosher meat was
obtainable in the senior home
there. When R Hecht arrived,
he found out there were great
difficulties in obtaining kosher
meat.
With much effort he
managed to ensure a regular
supply of kosher meat to that
location.
R Sholom Dovber Wolpo
related in his memoirs that were
published in HaTamim, that one
Issue 1003
27
1/5/2016 8:38:57 AM
Profile
YOU DONT NEED TO EXAGGERATE

R Yosef Reitzes related:
On Chanuka 5734, R Moshe Yitzchok Hecht took a group of bachurim
from 770 to New Haven where they were very successful. We slept in R
Hechts basement and farbrenged with him, and it was very successful and
enjoyable too.
On Zos Chanuka, the Rebbe suddenly announced that he would be
giving a dollar to whoever participated in Mivtza Chanuka. R Hecht knew
about this shortly before everyone else which is why we arrived early at 770
and were among the first on line.
R Hecht stood near the Rebbes room. When the Rebbe came out
he went over to him and began enthusiastically telling the Rebbe, while
pointing at us, about how the bachurim did excellent work, mamash with
mesirus nefesh...
The Rebbe stood and listened, smiled, then speaking in a fatherly tone
reserved for the Hecht family he said, R Moshe Yitzchok, there is no need
to exaggerate.
of the things that pushed him
to switch to Yeshivas Tomchei
Tmimim was when R Hecht
came for a farbrengen in Yeshivas
Toras Emes, in the course of
which he danced on the table
with the bottle he had received
from the Rebbe.
In 5739, R Hecht wanted
to attend a family simcha in
Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe told
him to arrange a meeting with
Prime Minister Begin as a Jewish
representative from Connecticut,
and to protest all dangerous
political dealings. Of course, this
referred to the shameful Camp
David Accords.
A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH AN OLD FRIEND
R Moshe Yitzchok Hecht
received special signs of affection
from the Rebbe. He had a special
relationship with the Rebbe even
before the Rebbe accepted the
Chabad leadership (the Rebbe
calls him, our very distinguished
friend in a letter from 5703),
in addition to which he was
one of the Rebbe Rayatzs first
shluchim.
After the passing of the Rebbe

Rayatz, R Hecht connected
heart and soul to the Rebbe and
was one of the people in the New
Haven community who gave the
Rebbe a writ of hiskashrus on
10 Shevat 5711, hours before the
Rebbe delivered the maamer in
which he accepted the nesius.
When the Rebbe wanted
to reprint Likkutei Torah and
needed $10,000, he wrote to R
Hecht and consulted with him
about who could be included
among the ten donors. In the
end, one of the donors was R
Hecht himself and after it was
published he received a copy
from the Rebbe with a personal
dedication.
On 11 Nissan 5730/1970,
when he went in last for a private
audience after a line of rabbis and
chassidim who had come to bless
the Rebbe on his birthday, the
Rebbe received him warmly and
said, Many were here tonight
but acharon chaviv (the final one
is beloved).
In another private audience,
when R Hecht went into the
Rebbes room, he saluted the
Rebbe in his great excitement.
The Rebbe smiled broadly when

he said, I should salute you
in return but what can I do
when they see me through the
window.
PASSING ON EREV
SHABBOS
R Moshe Yitzchok Hecht
passed away on Erev Shabbos of
Parshas VaEira, 27 Teves 5752,
and merited having the Rebbe go
out to escort him at his funeral.
The Rebbe stood there until the
car with the casket could no
longer be seen and stared off
into the distance at where the car
carrying the coffin passed from
sight.
At
the
farbrengen
on
Shabbos, the Rebbe said an
unusual sicha dedicated to R
Hecht. The Rebbe elaborated
on the significance of the names
Moshe and Yitzchok which
allude to his hiskashrus. Moshe
the extension of Moshe Rabbeinu
in every generation, and Yitzchok
the Rebbe Rayatzs second
name. The Rebbe also spoke
about the name Hecht, the
name of a fish (pike) which
is kosher even though its a
predatory fish and spoke highly
of R Hecht.
After his passing, the Rebbe
said a book should be published
in his memory and lilui nishmaso
and a month later the book Tiferes
Moshe Yitzchok was published.
The Rebbe also dedicated a sicha
about this.
CHASSIDISHE NACHAS
All of R Hechts descendants
continue in his ways and many of
them serve as shluchim.
Every so often the Rebbe
would update him about his
childrens activities.
The day
after the bar mitzva celebration
held for IDF orphans at which

1/5/2016 8:38:58 AM
his son R Yosef Hecht, shliach to

Eilat, spoke, the Rebbe walked in
for davening and saw R Moshe
in the doorway.
The Rebbe
said to him, Your son spoke
yesterday in Kfar Chabad with
great success. He added that
Begin also spoke.
R Hecht told the Rebbe that
he hoped the Rebbe had nachas
from his son. The Rebbe said,
From both of them.
The same thing happened
when his son spoke at an event
where Shimon Peres, the prime

minister at the time, was present,
and he gave him a Tanya printed
in Egypt.
When the Rebbe
received this report, he told R
Chadakov to immediately contact
R Hecht and tell him. After the
Siyum HaRambam in Egypt, the
Rebbe told R Groner to contact
R Hecht and tell him about the
wonderful thing his son arranged.
When his daughter was going
to marry R Yaakov Kaploun,
the father-in-law decided there
would be no flowers since the

Rebbe did not want money
wasted on luxuries. R Chadakov,
who attended the wedding,
noticed this. A few days later, the
secretary called the chassan and
gave him a special thank you in
the Rebbes name for not having
flowers. The parents were also
told yashar koach in yechidus
a few days after the wedding
for not having flowers at the
wedding.
Continued from page 33
of the teachings of Chassidus to

a situation when there is a need
for arousal and action about the
practical observance of Torah
and mitzvos?
The answer is, it is known
what the Rebbe Rashab wrote
in the famous letter published
in the introduction to Kuntres
UMaayan, that now is the time
for the final birurim of Ikvisa
DMeshicha there is no order
and gradation now in the birurim
and their rectification, and so,
we need to work on all fronts
for we do not know exactly what
the focus is when it comes to the
secret of birurim.
Furthermore, even though
the revelation of Chassidus is
to attain love and fear, still, the
teachings of Chassidus were not
revealed in earlier generations
(which could relate better to
matters of love and fear), for
It was hidden in their days
and hidden from all the Torah
scholars except for exceptional
individuals, and only in the
latter generations, specifically
in the Ikvisa DMeshicha, was it
revealed. There are two reasons
for this: one, since in Ikvos
Meshicha the darkness increases
and it is necessary to cancel and
illuminate this great darkness
through a very great light, and

two, since we are approaching
the Yemos HaMoshiach when
there will be the completion of the
revelation of pnimius haTorah,
there needs to be preparation for
this by spreading the wellsprings
outward.
From this we understand
that here too, even in a state and
situation when we need to arouse
and work for Torah and mitzva
fulfillment, there also needs to
be accomplishment through the
study of Chassidus. Moreover,
since the study of Chassidus
is connected with the idea of
teshuva ilaa (higher repentance),
through this he is able to jump to
a state that is incomparable to his
previous state.
Next time, G-d willing, we will
address what topic to choose when
starting a new Chassidus shiur,
whether it is worth giving shiurim
as part of a series or should each
shiur have its own separate topic,
whether to learn inside the text or
not, how to market the shiur to
the public, and finding the right
balance between developing and
explaining ideas and covering
ground.
level including abstract concepts

even to people to whom this
would seemingly be remote. It
is the depth and the explaining
of abstract ideas that can create
a serious learning atmosphere for
serious people.
The Rebbe says on Simchas
Torah 5711 (brought in Toras
Menachem Hisvaaduyos): One
could seemingly claim, at a time
when one ought to be agitating
about putting on tfillin, keeping
Shabbos, etc. why speak about
learning Chassidus, especially
those matters that are deep such
as infinite worlds that transcend
Atzilus, explaining the difference
between the bittul of the world of
Atzilus and the bittul of infinite
worlds above Atzilus?
The
revelation
of
the
teachings of Chassidus, they
continue to maintain, is in
order to acquire love and fear
(as the Rambam writes, What
is the path to love and fear of
Him? When you meditate etc.,
contemplation of the greatness of
G-d), so that through this there
will be an elevation of Torah and
mitzvos to the higher spheres, for
Torah without fear and love does
not fly upward, but what is the
connection between the revelation
For feedback and comments:

meir11770@gmail.com
Issue 1003
29
1/5/2016 8:38:58 AM
CHINUCH
HOW TO
TEACH
CHASSIDUS
TO THE PUBLIC
AT LARGE
What are the principles for giving a good shiur
in Chassidus? How do we translate the deep
concepts in Chassidus into terms of everyones
daily life? What is the proper way to construct a
shiur in Chassidus? What can you say and what
cant you say, and how long should each shiur
take? * Principles, advice, and examples in giving
a Chassidus shiur. * First article in a series.
By R Meir Arad
mong Anash, there are

many people who give
shiurim in Chassidus to
all kinds of audiences,
religious and not yet observant.
Spreading the wellsprings is an
integral part of the life of every
Chassid, and especially in a Hakhel

year when there ought to be more
gatherings to teach it and to
fear Hashem, there is nothing
more effective than Chassidus for
that.
Those who give shiurim often

wonder: What is the best way to
give a shiur? How can Chassidus
be explained so that everyone can
understand it? How long should
each shiur take? What is the best
way to respond to questions and

1/5/2016 8:38:58 AM
comments? How do you get your

audience to take an interest in the
material? Which topics are best
to teach? How can we get people
to relate to the concepts?
In this series of articles,
we will try and answer these
questions. In this article (and the
ones that follow) well focus on
important principles and provide
tips and examples which will help
the lecturer give a quality shiur.
We will first examine those
things associated with the
construction of the shiur like
choosing the topics, the length of
the shiur, etc. and in the following
articles we will address the actual
teaching with examples and what
to emphasize in deconstructing
the concepts and relating them to
peoples personal lives.
TAKING THE HUMANE

APPROACH
The first and basic principle
is the right approach to be taken
by the lecturer. It is crucial that
the teacher be careful about
respecting
peoples
dignity.
Even if the shiur youre giving
is fascinating and important to a
persons life, if the listener feels,
directly or indirectly, that you are
disparaging him or not treating
him nicely, he will be closed to
what you are saying, whether
consciously or unconsciously.
And of course, he might not
come back for more shiurim.
Do you have an audience
for
your
shiurim?
Great.
You prepared a good shiur?
Wonderful. Dont forget that you
are going to encounter human
beings.
You need to relate
politely to them, smile at them, in
a way that makes them feel that
they arent there just so that there
will be people to whom you can
give a shiur. They are people of
worth that you interact with and
in whom you take an interest.
Obviously, this needs to
be done with seichel, with
boundaries, and depending on
the place, type of people, etc.
NO PUTDOWNS
The great care you need to
take with peoples dignity applies
not only to not insulting them,
but also to not disparaging things
that are important to them.
Sometimes, without realizing it,
and certainly not intentionally,
the one giving a shiur can make a
Issue 1003
31
1/5/2016 8:38:59 AM
Chinuch
It is recommended that at least when you are

first getting to know them that you express, even
indirectly, the ideas you have in common.
comment that will insult someone
and the things that are important
to him.
For example, when discussing
a maamer or topic that describes
the divisions in creation: the
inanimate, vegetation, animal,
and human, and explaining how
man is the pinnacle of creation,
above animals, etc., if you make
some joke about those who have
pets instead of children, and your
audience is not religious or is the
type that might own a pet, you
are likely to offend someone. It
is very possible that one or more
of the people at your shiur has
a pet, and sometimes the pet
means the world to them. The
joke and disparaging comment
are insensitive, whether or not it
is ideal to own a pet.
Does this mean you cannot
talk about certain topics? No,
there are times it is necessary
to speak even about sensitive
matters, but it needs to be done
with forethought, with sensitivity,
and in the right place and time
and in the right way (as we will
discuss), but definitely not in
a style of speech that can be
construed as derogatory.
Since the audiences outlook
and views can be different
than yours, and sometimes the
differences can be extreme, you
need to be careful not only about
personal dignity but also about
topics in hashkafa and ways of
life.
You need to know who your
audience is. Of course, there is a
difference if you are giving a shiur
to a Chabad crowd, to a frum
crowd, to a group of a certain
Chassidic persuasion, Litvish,
national-religious, or those who
arent yet frum. Creating a bond

with a new audience will happen
when you emphasize things you
have in common.
Even when the topic of the
shiur is something unrelated to
the difference in your worldview
and theirs, in order to create a
bond it is recommended that at
least when you are first getting
to know them that you express,
even indirectly, the ideas you
have in common.
For example, if its not a frum
audience, its a good idea to
emphasize and to say during the
shiur that the way one dresses
is not the main thing and that
Chassidic teachings emphasize
that within every Jew there is a
G-dly spark which has nothing
to do with his deeds or outer
appearance. This allows people
to feel a connection to the one
giving the shiur despite his
different appearance.
If your audience considers
living in Eretz Yisroel a supreme
value,
emphasize
Chabads
approach and the Rebbes war for
shleimus haaretz and how it is
prohibited to discuss giving away
land.
If the audience is more
to the right, religiously, your
emphasis will be on other topics,
depending on the type of people
and where they are coming from
hashkafically.
THE LENGTH OF A SHIUR

How long should a shiur be?
The answer, of course, depends
on many factors. Was the shiur
started by the one giving the
shiur and is he the one who
decides what is learned and for
how long? Or is this a shiur

organized by others who invited
you to teach, so that it does not
depend only on you and what
you want. If you were invited to
give a shiur and they told you to
speak for an hour, you cannot
deviate from that, neither longer
nor shorter.
Heres a tip.
Its always
recommended to prepare material
for a shiur that will suffice for
more time than you think you
have.
It sometimes happens
that you finish the material you
prepared and you are left with
nothing to say in the remaining
fifteen minutes. Better to prepare
a shiur and a half, just in case.
Others have the opposite
problem.
They cannot finish
what they wanted to teach in
the allotted time because they
elaborate and because, as they
speak, they think of additional
points to say. Questions from
the audience also take up time.
In this case, the emphasis needs
to be focused mainly on what you
consider are the most important
points you want to convey.
If the shiur is meant to be
longer than an hour and a half,
there should be a break, even
for a few minutes, because it is
usually difficult to concentrate
for a long time.
This is all for when a person is
giving a shiur for which the time
allotted is stated from the outset.
When it is a shiur that you
yourself are initiating and you are
inviting the people and its up to
you to decide how long it should
be, how should you decide on the
length of the shiur?
It depends. If its a daily
shiur like learning after Mincha
or Maariv in shul, even a
half an hour shiur or less is
fine. This is because the daily
learning produces a sense of
accomplishment and a person

1/5/2016 8:39:00 AM
will feel that even a short amount

of time, if its consistent, is
satisfying and he can learn
something. But if its a weekly
shiur, it should be longer, around
an hour, so that a person feels
that he is leaving with something
and not that the learning just
began and then its over.
Another point, sometimes the
audience are people who attend
the shiur not because of genuine
interest in what is being taught
but for other reasons such as
awareness of the importance of
regular learning times, social
pressure, the desire to get out and
sit among people, a good hachlata
that was made, respect for the
one giving the shiur (or wanting
to avoid any unpleasantness with
him). The common denominator
is that they are not that interested
in what is being taught and wait
for it to be over. In such cases,
it is recommended that you
pay attention to the audience
and if you see theyve lost their
concentration, dont go on for
long. Try to shorten it so they
go away with a feeling of wanting
more and not a feeling of wishing
they didnt show up. Especially if
the shiur was originally scheduled
for a specific time, between 7 and
7:30, for example, if they see
that the person giving the shiur
finishes on time, they are more
likely to come again. If they feel
it took too long, they are more
likely not to show up again.
Someone who gives a weekly
Tanya shiur in a hesder yeshiva
says:
The shiur that I give takes
place once a week after their
official learning ends at 10:00 at
night. The students are tired but
there is still a group that regularly
comes, of its own volition, to
learn Tanya. They do it because
they enjoy it and not because they
get any prize. I end the shiur
after half an hour or a maximum

of thirty-five minutes. I know
that some of them, because they
are polite, will not get up in the
middle of the shiur even if they
are tired and want to leave, and
I dont want to be the cause of
one student not coming the next
time because he knows it will be
a longer shiur than he wants to
stay for. I would rather end after
a relatively short time so they
always feel they would like me to
continue, than to go on for too
long and start making them feel
pressured due to the late hour.
Of course, there are special
occasions like certain dates in
the calendar when a farbrengen
can go on for hours, but they are
exceptions and have nothing to
do with the regular weekly shiur.
To sum up, the length of the
shiur needs to be established
based on the ability to keep the
crowds interest and the desire
of the audience to hear more, but
the secret of tzimtzum is that
sometimes, by keeping it shorter
the shiur will be longer lasting
and attract more people.
THE LEVEL OF THE

MATERIAL
It is obvious that the level
of the material taught in the
shiur needs to suit the audience.
The one giving the shiur needs
to know who he is talking to
and adjust the level so that the
material can be understood.
At the same time, it is worth
mentioning
an
important
principle that sometimes is not
noted. Experience shows that
creating a long-term connection
for most of the people happens
when the ideas being learned
have depth and novelty.
If often happens that those
who give shiurim in Chassidus
look for vertlach, short and easy
ideas, and stories, thinking that

everyone can relate to them and
nobody will feel it is beyond
them. The truth is though that
simple material might be better
for a one-time shiur but when
you want to create ongoing
shiurim, you need to take into
account that there are people,
usually serious and high-level
people, who will not come again
if they feel that the shiur was not
deep and innovative. Even if the
shiur was very interesting and
it looked as though the crowd
enjoyed it, if people leave with
the feeling that they did not gain
anything deep, and the material
was easy and they could have
read it on their own at home,
some of them wont come back.
Even if you have a good
sense of humor and you made
the crowd laugh and had them
rolling in their seats, ultimately
the goal is not to laugh or enjoy
jokes, nor is the goal to be Mr.
Popular. There are numerous
opportunities for this in other
venues and this is not why they
come to a shiur in Chassidus
which is supposed to enter their
neshamos. Within a short time it
will seem unnecessary to them.
However, when they see
that the material is solid and
deep, even if they dont always
fully understand the ideas (due
to how the shiur is given or to
limited comprehension on the
part of the listeners) they will see
it as a challenge to come back,
especially if they were treated
respectfully as we mentioned
earlier.
Obviously, the deeper the
material, the more work needs
to be put into the preparation
so it will be able to be taught
clearly and correctly, but the
principle here is not to be afraid
to teach Chassidus on a deep
Continued on page 29
Issue 1003
33
1/5/2016 8:39:00 AM
TZIVOS HASHEM
THE REBBE RE VEALED
THE SECRET
By Nechama Bar
You must decide what

If you want
youre doing.
to conver t, then we will get
Otherwise, we are
married.
parting ways. A thunderous
silence could be heard on the
line.
You know what Ive decided.
What Ive been is what I will be.
I am not interested in changing
My family will
my identity.
do that. She
I
if
furious
be
herself and her
of
sure
d
sounde
n.
decisio
All right then, this is our
final conversation. Yuval hung
up the phone. He felt he had
done the right thing, even
though it was very difficult.
Yuval was Israeli and from an
irreligious family. He had met a
woman named Jacqueline and
all was fine and they thought of
marrying. Then Jacqueline told
him that she wasnt Jewish! She
was European, from a Christian
family and had no connection
to the Jewish people. She had
gone to Eretz Yisroel to work.
She wanted to marry him but
refused to conver t for that
purpose.
Although Yuval came from
an irreligious family, he would
not consider marrying a nonHe tried to convince
Jew.
Jacqueline to conver t but she
remained firm in her decision
not to (it should be mentioned

that according to halacha, you
cannot conver t in order to
marry a Jew, for only someone
who truly wants to take on the
yoke of mitzvos can conver t).
The two sadly parted ways.
Yuval was a worldly person
who traveled a lot. He went to
New York and was there for a
long time.
One day, he was slowly
walking home at the end of a
hard days work. It was a crisp
autumn day and the street was
lined with beautiful trees. He
walked through the fallen leaves
of all colors.
Yuval! he suddenly heard
The
his name being called.
He
r.
voice sounded familia
who
for
turned around, looking
had called his name.
Jacqueline, youre here too
in America?!
You see we meet again.
Well, did you change your
mind? she asked with a
pleading tone.
Definitely not. Maybe you
changed your mind?
Jacqueline shook her head
no.
An idea suddenly occurred
to Yuval about how to get
her to see things his way. He
planned on being in 770 for
Simchas Torah with the Rebbe.
A friend had recommended it

and said it was the best place
to be on Simchas Torah. The
friend said that the simcha
overflowed. Maybe Jacqueline
would come to see what Jewish
simcha looked like and would
be drawn to Judaism. He tried
his luck and suggested that
she wait near 770 on Simchas
Torah.
Jacqueline wasnt opposed
to the idea. She was openminded and always enjoyed
cultures.
other
experiencing
She had no idea how deep
and moving the experience
would be. She pushed into the
A
crowded womens section.
nice lady brought her into the
Jacqueline looked
front row.
in amazement at the path
that opened like the Splitting
of the Sea. She watched the
Rebbe stride majestically, his
face like an angels. She had
never seen such a combination
of greatness and humility and
simplicity. The nonstop simcha
and dancing with the Torah
were new to her and something
inside of her was moved.
She wanted with all her
might to meet this very special
man who lifted everybody up.
The day after Simchas Torah
she asked for an appointment
Yuval was
with the Rebbe.
the
what
know
to
curious

1/5/2016 8:39:01 AM
Rebbe said to her.

Jacqueline left the yechidus
somewhat
and
emotional
She told him what
confused.
happened in the Rebbes office:
I told the Rebbe that I am a
gentile and that I know a Jewish
man and want to marry him
but he insists that I first conver t.
What should I do?
The Rebbe looked at me with
his piercing eyes and I looked
I could not
downward.
look at his face. A light
radiated from him.
The Rebbe said to
me, You are not a
You are
gentile.
a Jew. You can
marry.
I was floored
by the Rebbes
But
reaction.
Rebbe, you dont
This is
know me.
the first time I am
meeting you. I am not
I come from
Jewish.
a Christian, European
family. Every Sunday I go
to church and I celebrate all
the Christian holidays!
The Rebbe was not impressed.
Ask your mother whether you
are Jewish or not.
A spark of hope flared in
Yuvals eyes. Maybe Jacqueline
was actually Jewish!
At first, Jacqueline was not
going to pursue it, but Yuval
urged her to try. What do you
have to lose? he asked.
day,
same
That
her
called
line
Jacque
her
asked
and
r
mothe
whether she was Jewish.
Her mother hung up the
phone without replying.
realized
Jacqueline
was
phone
the
that
get
to
way
the
not
she
ation
inform
the
wanted. She ordered a ticket

and flew home. She asked her
mother once again whether she
was Jewish. Her mother said,
When Father is at home, do not
mention anything about Jews or
Judaism. Tomorrow we will go
to the park and I will tell you.
The next day the two walked
slowly in the park. The colorful
flowers did not
d r a w
their attention for even a

Then the mother
moment.
revealed the family secret.
Yes, I am Jewish and
your father is Jewish. All the
Jewish.
were
grandparents
the
h
throug
went
Father
.
greatly
d
suffere
Holocaust and
his
with
ties
all
He decided to cut
Jewish roots.
Jacqueline was incredulous.
The Rebbe does not know me.
He certainly does not know you.
And yet he knew about our
history!
She quickly returned to New
York with good news for Yuval.
She had yechidus again and told
the Rebbe what she had
The Rebbe
learned.
how to
her
told
of all
herself
rid
ty
impuri
the
clung
had
that
to her from
church
the
and he gave
blessing
his
their
for
marriage.
Issue 1003
35
1/5/2016 8:38:49 AM

1003

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1003

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CONTENTS

Rabbi Nachman Twersky

Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content

Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272

Tel: (718) 778-8000

BASI LGANI 5716

THE PRAYER OF THE POOR MAN

you) psulasan (the fragments) will be yours.

THE POLARITY OF POVERTY

bittul one reaches even higher than the prayer of

DISCOVERING THE SOURCE OF EVIL

4 27 Teives 5776 Hakhel

LETTERS FROM THE REBBE

THE FIRST SHLICHUS:

Letters from the Rebbe

hortly before the passing

that one of his jobs will be to

of Morocco who are not now

6 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

organizations, the better.

will approach your new

Chassidishe nachas from our

tzaddik, R Yisroel of Ruzhin. R

Our children are worth infinitely more than gold

every individual regardless of

THE CHILD WHO RETURNED

the value of our children, that

experiences of exalted moments

10 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

his bag, he exchanged it for gold

us, and all what remains for us to

children, to the point that parents

If the child is taught truth without compromise,

obsess about trivial matters.

approach in a letter (Igros

love the truth.

(the rebellious child), who did

12 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

HAKHEL & MOSHIACH

THE CENTRAL ROLE OF

own home. When a home is infused

Our generation is the last

greatness and asceticism were

place. There was a moment

14 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

for a rav to make use of a

R Gershon was swept up in his prayers. He

do not need us because you have

destroy the Jews holy books.

He glanced at the sun which was

lips curled in fury, roughly led

R Gershon found himself

The holy Ohr HaChayim,

16 27 Teives 5776 - Hakhel

he was seeing properly.

The holy Ohr HaChayim, who was in Yerushalayim,

Yerushalayim and walked toward

Chaims house, the tzaddik

Make a Mivtzah Kashrus in your own computer!

While The Internet can be a helpful tool for business,

experts that will solve your problems fast.

vchomer inferences mentioned

WHY DIDNT THEY LISTEN?

They would surely have wanted