TAMING THE WILD WEST

I am also still surprised sometimes when I have to deal with tragic matters such as helping a couple with shalom bayis and discovering what stupidities people are immersed in, or cases of crime and violence and things that I can’t elaborate on in a Chassidic publication. The following is one example of what shluchim sometimes have to contend with…

Chabad mosdos in Shlomi  Those of you who are not familiar with the work of shlichus in Chabad houses from up close, would never imagine the sort of lowly things a shliach has to deal with. Yet, sometimes it turns out that it’s there, in the “lowest place,” that the “highest level” of the “eighth” is revealed.

In Chassidic maamarim from all the Rebbeim throughout the generations, the level of the “eighth” is explained at length. In Likkutei Sichos Inyanei Geula U’Moshiach, the Rebbe emphasizes that the name of last week’s parsha, Shmini, teaches us that this is not merely the eighth day of consecration but the highest level of the dwelling of the Sh’china. The Sh’china dwells and is revealed specifically within the daily activities that we do. This is provided that we know how to make of our homes and everything we do a welcome dwelling for the Sh’china.

Nearly every shliach you will ask can tell you how shocked he was when he first discovered to what low levels of “this lowly world, of which there is nothing lower” he has to descend. Generally, before a shliach goes on shlichus, he views shlichus as a spiritual pursuit that includes giving shiurim and interesting lectures to large and appreciative audiences. It is true that shlichus does consist of that, but there are also many opportunities for a “lowlier” sort of avoda, which is no less a part of the holy work.

I am also still surprised sometimes when I have to deal with tragic matters such as helping a couple with shalom bayis and discovering what stupidities people are immersed in, or cases of crime and violence and things that I can’t elaborate on in a Chassidic publication.

The following is one example of what shluchim sometimes have to contend with.

CRIME AGAINST THE CHABAD HOUSE

Rabbi Benny Nachum, shliach in the development town called Shlomi in Northern Israel, had his first shock a few years after he started on shlichus. At that time, many dubious sorts lived in Shlomi. The police force was overworked as they searched for drug dealers and sought to prevent crime and violence in the town. Those in the know nicknamed Shlomi “Texas” because of the Wild West type shootings that went on there among gangs.

Rabbi Benny Nachum knew all this but wasn’t afraid to go on shlichus there. On the one hand, he is extremely knowledgeable in maamarei Chassidus and the mysteries of kabbala. On the other hand, he knows how to talk to criminal types. He considered Shlomi a challenge and his life’s mission, and the results speak for themselves. However, even he was surprised when, one fine morning, he woke up to find that a drug den had opened across the street. The abandoned building located opposite the Chabad house had been taken over by a drug dealer who had moved in and set up shop. The dealer had made some renovations such as opening a window on the front of the house that looked out on the street (and the Chabad house), and Rabbi Nachum had a clear view of the drug trafficking from his house. In the dark of night, one could see underworld characters approaching the window, handing over their money and receiving drugs in return.

The police soon showed up. Day and night they conducted surveillance, both undercover and out in the open, opposite the house with the window, in order to amass evidence against the drug dealer. The dealer didn’t appreciate being under surveillance. He decided he would build a high wall around his house. One morning, two of his friends showed up and began quickly building a wall. They didn’t care that they had no official permits. Within two days, the wall was up and the entire area, which had already become a police target, turned into a fortress.

The next morning, one of the women who attended shiurim at the Chabad house called to speak to Rabbi Nachum. “You know that my husband is a policeman,” she began, “and he needs to talk to you.” Rabbi Nachum new him well and invited him for a chat. 

The policeman came and explained what the shliach was already well aware of – that opposite his house was a fortified criminal enterprise, and because of the wall, the policemen were unable to observe the house from the street. He wanted to know whether the shliach would allow them to observe from the second floor and roof of his house, the Chabad house. 

The policemen showed up, set up their surveillance equipment, gathered information and took photographs, thanked the rav and went on their way.

DEMOLITION ORDER AND ARREST

A few days went by, and one morning, Rabbi Nachum noticed traffic opposite the Chabad house. Police cars pulled up along with a municipal official carrying a demolition order. There were municipal bulldozers accompanied by numerous policemen and special police forces (Yassam).

The drug dealer went out to the policemen and announced that he and his pals would bodily prevent the destruction of the building. Rabbi Nachum shudders even now when he recalls the exchange of blows. “I heard the fists from a distance of thirty meters. You don’t start up with Yassam.” Neither the screams of the drug dealer’s wife nor the assistance of some friends helped. The bulldozers knocked down the wall, and the drug dealer was arrested.

Surprisingly, a few days later, the drug dealer was back. Apparently, with the help of “inside information” that he received, he was able to hide evidence moments before the policemen entered the building and they found nothing incriminating. They were forced to release him due to lack of evidence.

When he saw what the authorities had done to his nice house, he was very upset. The focus of his anger was the council leader of Shlomi, since he was the one who gave the demolition order. Within two hours, a group of felons had constructed a huge sign with coarse curses against the council leader written in large letters. They hung the sign on the demolished wall which faced the Chabad house, the main street, the shul and 550 students of the nearby school who passed by every day.

“Back then,” said R’ Nachum, “I usually davened in the Tzeirim shul. But the week that the sign went up, I happened to have davened in a different shul so I didn’t see the sign on Thursday, Friday or Shabbos morning. It was only when I went to daven Mincha on Shabbos that I suddenly noticed the repulsive sign. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The vulgar words with a disgusting picture engendered a feeling of holy zealousness on my part. It was clear to me that this sign could not remain facing the shul, the school, the Chabad house and my family with young children for even one minute.”

Before the astonished eyes of the congregation, R’ Nachum climbed up the demolished wall and removed the large sign and dropped it in the rubble. This created a loud noise that could be heard at a distance. People knew this was the rumbling before the storm. They asked Rabbi Nachum to quickly come back to daven before the lowlifes showed up.

Indeed, as soon as the davening was over, two ruffians entered the shul and one barked, “Who took down the sign?” 

Rabbi Nachum, who was still possessed of a spirit of zealotry and shlichus mitzva, faced them and said, “I took it down and don’t you dare put it back up! The world can turn over but that sign will not face worshipers and school children! If you wish, hang the sign in the building so only you can see it, but not facing the street!”

Rabbi Nachum knew he had to show he was not afraid of them and so he left the shul and escorted them to the site in order to verify that they would not be hanging the sign back up. As they were walking out of the shul, the two toughs stopped and informed Rabbi Nachum in veiled though clear language, “Know that you are playing with fire.” 

Rabbi Nachum responded in kind, “You are playing with fire! The Sh’china is a consuming fire. Make sure you don’t hang that sign back up facing the shul and Chabad house.” In the meantime, the shliach and the two men entered the site as the other worshipers followed them with their eyes and a heartfelt plea that the rabbi should make it out in peace. 

 A candid conversation ensued between the shliach and the men. The latter showed the shliach the destruction wreaked by the arm of the law to explain why they had hung the sign. The shliach looked around and said, “Do you know why all this happened to you? Because there are no mezuzos here!”

“So why don’t you bring us mezuzos?” they asked. The shliach promised to bring mezuzos the next day. On that friendly note, he left the dangerous building and went back to the shul. The worried congregants cheered upon his return as though welcoming a hero that emerged unscathed from a lion’s den. After Maariv, he went home.

His wife asked him to explain the shouting she had heard from the shul, and he told her what had happened. She felt insecure and wanted a bracha from the Rebbe. She wrote a letter which she placed in a volume of Igros Kodesh. To her amazement, she opened to a letter in which the Rebbe related and explained the story in the Gemara about Rabbi Meir who had dangerous gangsters living in his neighborhood and he prayed that they die. His wife Bruria taught him to pray that they repent.

After a letter like this, which contained blessings and the conferring of strength, Rabbi Nachum took twelve mezuzos to his neighbors. Since then, a wonderful friendship developed which led, over the years, to the repentance of all those involved with the former den of iniquity. The owner of the building bought t’fillin and started using them daily. He still continued (temporarily) to deal in drugs, and was caught and sat in jail for several years. However, upon his release he was like a new man. He renewed his friendship with Rabbi Nachum. Today he makes donations to the Chabad house, his children attend the Mesibos Shabbos, and the entire family has become more religiously observant. They left their life of crime and opened a small grocery store. Even the police readily concede that the house is no longer a target of theirs.

Rabbi Nachum emphasizes that thanks to the impact of mitzvos and Chassidus, the entire town has changed for the good. Today, there isn’t a single drug dealer in Shlomi. The town is clean and there are many baalei t’shuva living there that were formally part of the gang of criminals involved in this story. The former “Texas” is now a town full of shiurim, battei midrash, and hundreds of mekuravim to the Rebbe and the Chabad house.